Columbia  (Hnitiersftp 

mtl)fCttp0f3Jfttigork 


LIBRARY 


MEMOIRS. 


MEMOIRS 


OF    THE 


LIFE  AND  .RELIGIOUS  LABORS 


CF 


EDWARD-  HICKS, 


LATE   OF 


NEWTOWN,  BUCKS  COUNTY,  PENNSYLVANIA 


WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF. 


PHILADELPfflA  j 
Merrihew  &  Thompson,  Printers, 
No.  7  Carter's  Alley. 
1851. 


xi-i^<^y) 


A   TESTIMONY 

Of  Makefietd  Mondily  Meeting^  concerning  our  beloved  Friend j 
Edward  Hicks,  deceased. 

He  was  born  in  Attleborough,  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  the  4th  day 
of  Fourth  month,  1780.  His  parents  vrere  Isaac  and  Catharine 
Hicks.  His  mother,  who  is  represented  as  a  pious  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  dying  in  his  infancy,  Elizabeth  Twining,  a 
kind  friend,  out  of  regard  for  the  mother  and  sympathy  for  the 
child,  took  him  to  her  home  ;  where  he  received  the  advantage  of 
kind  maternal  care.  Ofttimes  has  he  publicly  acknowledged  the 
lasting  benefit  he  derived  from  her  early  religious  care  and 
instruction.  She  frequently  read  to  him  from  the  New  Testament, 
instructing  him  in  the  doctrines  contained  therein  ;  and  such 
were  the  impressions  then  made  on  his  tender  mind,  that  their 
influence  was  not  entirely  lost  in  his  subsequent  deviations  from 
the  path  of  rectitude.  He  often  held  up  to  mothers,  and  those 
having  the  care  of  the  young,  the  example  of  this  worthy  woman ; 
entreating  them  to  <*go,  and  do  likewise,"  which  he  called 
«  bringing  children  to  Christ.'' 

After  leaving  his  adopted  mother,  he  was  exposed  to  various 
temptations,  both  while  at  school,  and  during  his  apprenticeship 
in  a  country  village.  Deprived  of  religious  instruction,  and  all 
restraint  upon  his  moral  conduct,  and  being  of  a  lively,  volatile 
disposition,  his  company  was  sought  by  that  class  who  indulge  in 
«  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown  men  in  perdition,"  and, 
for  a  time,  he  joined  with  them  in  vanity  and  folly.     But,  as  he 

1* 


used  to  relate  to  his  friends,  ('with  gratitude  to  his  heavenly 
Father  for  his  protecting  care,)  he  was  followed  by  the  witness  for 
Truth  in  his  own  mind,  so  as  to  be  preserved  from  any  act  of 
gross  immorality,  that  would  leave  a  stain  upon  his  character  in 
the  sight  of  men. 

About  the  twenty-first  year  of  his  age  he  was  favored  with  a 
renewed  visitation  of  Heavenly  love ;  and  yielding  thereto,  he 
passed  through  the  dispensation  of  condemnation,  which  he 
viewed  as  the  baptism  unto  repentance,  by  which  his  former 
pleasures  were  marred,  and  the  friendship  and  glory  of  the  world 
were  stained  in  his  view;  and  the  dispensation  of  justifica- 
tion was  opened  before  him,  "with  promise  of  the  life  thafe 
now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come,^'  and  yielding  obedience 
to  the  heavenly  call,  he  was  made  willing  to  part  with  all  for  the 
pearl  of  great  price  !  In  order  for  help,  he  attended  the  meetings 
of  several  religious  societies ;  but  finally  joined  in  membership 
with  Friends  of  Middletown  Monthly  Meeting,  Bucks  county. 
About  the  twenty-third  year  of  his  age  he  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Sarah,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Susanna  "Worstal,  of  Newtown, 
with  whom  he  lived  in  near  afiection  to  the  close  of  his  life.  He 
continued  within  the  verge  of  Middletown  Monthly  Meeting 
several  years ;  and  about  the  30th  year  of  his  age  he  came  forth 
in  the  ministry,  deeply  in  the  cross  to  his  natural  will ;  but  the 
Master  of  Assemblies  owned  him  therein,  covering  the  meetings 
with  that  solemnity  which  is  precious  and  comforting  to  those 
present. 

In  the  year  1811  he  removed  to  Newtown ;  where  but  few 
Friends  resided.  An  indulged  Meeting  was  soon  opened  in  the 
village,  and  after  some  time  a  meeting-house  was  built,  and  a 
Meeting  settled.  Being  faithful,  he  grew  in  his  gift  and  became 
an   eminent  minister  of  the  Gospel ;  adorning  the   doctrine  he 


preached,  by  a  life  corresponding  tlierewith.  lie  travelled  much 
in  the  ministry ;  and  being  favored  with  a  comprehensive  mind, 
a  clear  vision,  and  ready  utterance,  he  was  enabled,  when  clothed 
with  Gospel  authority,  to  open  and  explain  the  doctrine  of 
the  Christian  religion,  in  a  clear  and  forcible  manner,  to  large 
assemblies  of  different  denominations.  He  was  often  led  to  testify 
against  a  hireling  ministry,  as  one  of  the  darkest  clouds  resting 
on  Christendom ;  and  against  a  hypocritical  and  self-righteous 
state ;  also,  against  a  luke-warm  and  libertine  condition,  his 
testimonies  were  often  severe.  Some  being  offended  therewith, 
spread  reports  against  him;  but  he  continued  his  course,  unmoved 
by  such  insinuations;  his  popularity  appearing  a  small  thing  in 
his  view.  A  highway  was  opened  before  him,  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  people  generally,  without  regard  to  sects  or  parties. 
But,  although  his  doctrine  was  severe  to  those  classes,  yet  to  the 
penitent,  to  the  returning  prodigal,  the  sinner  awakened  to  a 
sense  of  his  guilt,  and  to  the  seeking  children,  his  doctrine 
dropped  as  the  dew,  and  distilled  as  the  small  rain  upon  the 
tender  plant ;  encouraging  these  to  return  to  the  Father's  house, 
where  there  is  bread  enough  and  to  spare,  and  where  none  need 
perish  with  hunger. 

With  the  approbation  of  his  Friends,  after  visiting  the  meetings 
near  home,  he  went  to  distant  parts  :  to  Upper  Canada,  and  the 
Yearly  Meetings  of  New  York,  Baltimore,  Ohio,  Indiana,  and 
Gennesee,  and  to  meetings  within  their  limits.  When  his  service 
was  over,  he  was  careful  to  return,  without  unnecessary  delay  ; 
and  it  appears  that  his  Gospel  labors  were  not  only  acceptable, 
but  instructive  and  edifying. 

And  while  he  was  "  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord,"  he  was 
also  ''diligent  in  business,"  laboring  with  his  hands  for  the 
support  of  his  family,   so  that  he  could  say  with  the  apostle. 


8 

*'  these  hands  have  ministered  to  my  necessities,  and  those  that 
were  with  me." 

It  was  his  concern  frequently  to  attend  funerals ;  where,  in 
large  audiences  of  different  professions,  opportunity  was  afforded 
to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  demonstration  of  the  spirit,  and  with 
power.  But  at  funerals  out  of  our  Society,  he  was  careful,  if  he 
felt  an  ability  to  engage  in  his  Divine  Master's  cause,  to  inquire 
if  the  family  and  connexions  were  unlling.  In  this  he  had  an  eye 
to  the  command  of  our  Saviour,  "  Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  to  youj  do  ye  even  so  to  them."  And  as  we  would  not, 
on  such  occasions,  approve  of  the  services  of  those  not  of  our 
Society,  we  should  also  be  careful  not  to  intrude  ours  on  them. 

He  was  also  concerned  for  the  support  of  the  Discipline  of 
Society,  believing  that  it  was  a  hedge  about  us;  and  the 
disposition  to  change  it  gave  him  uneasiness. 

For  many  years  he  was  afflicted  with  a  cough,  which  of  latter 
time  increasing,  attended  with  shortness  of  breath,  disabled  him 
for  distant  journeys.  He,  however,  diligently  attended  his 
meetings  at  home,  and  frequently  those  in  the  vicinity  ;  and  with 
the  unity  of  his  Friends  at  home,  (^which  he  always  esteemed 
precious,)  he  appointed  meetings  in  school-houses,  and  other 
places  remote  from  any  house  of  public  worship  ;  and  though  his 
bodily  strength  was  declining,  yet  his  voice  remained  strong  and 
clear.  The  meetings  were  generally  large  and  highly  favored. 
But  a  few  weeks  previous  to  his  death,  his  cough  and  debility 
increasing,  he  felt  easy  to  remain  at  Jiome,  as  it  was  difl&cult  for 
him  to  sit  in  meetings. 

An  intimate  friend  calling  to  see  him  a  short  time  before  his 
death,  found  him  in  his  shop,  busily  engaged  in  painting,  (it 
being  the  only  business  he  was  able  to  follow.)  He  informed  the 
friend  that  he  had  no  prospect  of  living  through  the  Eighth 
month  ;   that  he  was  comfortable  ;  his  cough  hurt  him  very  little* 


and  that  he  had  never  been  so  happy  at  any  time  of  his  life  !  His 
concern  as  a  minister,  that  had  rested  on  him  for  nearly  forty - 
years,  was  removed;  and  it  had  left  him  in  peace  !  He  rejoiced 
in  being  released  from  the  burden,  and  felt  his  sufferings  as 
nothing ;  feeling  the  evidence,  that  with  all  his  failings,  eccentri- 
cities, and  short-comings,  he  had  done  what  he  could;  "he  had 
finished  the  work  that  was  given  him  to  do,  and  kept  the  faith/' 
Upon  the  same  friend  visiting  him  a  week  or  two  after,  he  found 
him  still  at  work  ;  and  remarked  that  he  appeared  better,  and  as 
the  Eighth  month  was  fast  passing  away,  he  hoped  that  he  would 
live  through  it.  He  replied,  "  it  might  be  so  ;  he  was  resigned? 
but  had  no  prospect  or  desire  to  continue  !  Death  had  no  terror, 
and  the  grave  would  have  no  victory  over  him !  My  impression 
is,^'  he  continued,  <'  that  I  shall  go  suddenly,  without  much  pain 
or  suffering,  and  with  very  little  warning  to  my  family." 

He  continued  painting  till  the  day  before  he  died,  when, 
finding  himself  very  weak,  he  returned  to  the  house,  saying  he 
"  believed  that  he  had  paid  his  last  visit  to  the  shop  !"  The  next 
morning  his  daughter  observed,  she  "  thought  him  better.''  He 
replied,  he  ''icas  better;  he  was  comfortable  ;  but  requested  they 
would  not  flatter  themselves,  for  he  was  going  to  die." 

He  remained  in  his  chamber,  so  quiet  and  easy,  that  his  family 
were  not  alarmed  till  afternoon,  when  he  appeared  to  be  sinking ; 
he  remained  calm  and  easy,  speaking  to  all  that  came  to  see  him. 
A  short  time  before  his  close  he  said, 

"  Oh  !  'tis  a  glorious  boon  to  die, 
That  favor  can't  be  prized  too  high." 

Thus  he  descended  the  ''valley  of  the  shadow  of  death," 
fearing  no  evil.  About  9  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  23d  of 
Eighth  month,  1849,  in  the  70th  year  of  his  age,  he  breathed  his 
last,  without  apparent  pain  or  suffering  ! 

On  the  26th  his  remains  were  interred  from  the  Meeting-house 


10 

at  Newtown,  attended  by  a  great  concouse  of  people ;  after  whicli 
a  large  and  solemn  meeting  was  held,  wherein  the  language  went 
forth,  "Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince,  and  a  great  man  fallen 
this  day  in  Israel  V  Several  testimonies  were  borne  to  his  worth, 
and  to  the  excellency  of  that  Divine  and  heavenly  gift,  by  which 
he  was  raised  from  a  low  estate,  and  favored  with  an  undoubted 
assurance  of  an  inheritance  with  the  Saints  of  Light. 

"Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright,  for  the  end  of 
that  man  is  peace/' 

Signed  by  direction  of  Makefield  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends, 
held  at  Newtown,  10th  of  Fourth  month,  1851. 

Joseph  Flowers, 
Sarah  P.  Flowers, 

N.  B.  The  above  Memorial  was  not  forwarded  to  the  Quarterly 
or  Yearly  Meeting, but  is  simply  the  testimony  of  his  own  Monthly 
Meeting,  from  whose  minutes  it  has  been  transcribed. 


INTRODUCTION. 

A  VERT  dear  friend,  who  I  am  certainly  bound  to  love  and 
respect,  has  just  been  trying  to  persuade  me  to  submit  the 
following  Narrative,  &c., — which  was  never  intended  or  expected 
to  pass  for  a  Friend's  journal — to  the  Meeting  for  Sufferings.  But 
the  arguments  he  made  use  of,  if  they  proved  anything,  appeared 
to  me  to  prove  too  much,  and  therefore  confirmed  me  in  the  course 
I  had  adopted.  At  the  same  time,  they  furnished  additional 
evidence  that  an  imposition  has  been  practised  in  the  Christian 
Church,  from  the  earliest  ages  of  the  apostacy,  down  to  the 
present  time,  by  eulogizing  sinners,  many  years  after  they  have 
been  dead,  as  saints.  0  how  unlike  is  this  to  those  holy  men 
of  old,  who  wrote  as  they  w^ere  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
the  dwine  Saviour  promised  his  disciples  the  Father  would  send, 
in  his  name,  who  should  "  teach  them  all  things,  and  bring  all 
things  to  their  remembrance  whatsoever  they  had  heard  of  him/' 
Under  the  influence  of  this  blessed  spirit,  the  inspired  writers 
handed  down  to  posterity  the  characters  of  David,  king  of  Israel, 
and  Peter,  the  prince  of  the  apostles,  with  their  virtues  and  their 
vices  standing  out  in  bold  relief,  for  succeeding  generations  to 
see  and  judge  for  themselves. 

It  was  under  the  influence  of  a  portion  of  this  good  spirit,  I 
humbly  trust,  I  wrote  the  following  Narrative,  &c.,  in  which  I 
have  tried  to  make  a  statement  of  facts,  according  to  the  best  of 
my  limited  understanding,  and  if  I  have  found  fault,  and  accused 
some  of  my  brethren  and  sisters,  exposing  their  sins  and  foibles, 
I  have  certainly  tried,  with  as  great  propriety,  to  include  myself; 
and  should  any  think  I  have  been  too  sparing  in  the  exposure  of 


12 

my  own  sins  and  foibles,  I  am  more  than  willing  that  my  enemies 
should  enlarge  upon  them  to  the  utmost  extent  of  the  truth,  the 
■whole  truth,  and  almost  beyond  the  truth,  rather  than  my  friends 
should  take  a  name  (that  might  better  be  consigned  to  the  gulf 
of  oblivion)  and  impose  it  upon  posterity  for  what  it  never 
merited. 

My  constitutional  nature  has  presented  formidable  obstacles  to 
the  attainment  of  that  truly  desirable  character,  a  consistent  and 
exemplary  member  of  the  Religious  Society  of  Friends ;  one  of 
which  is  an  excessive  fondness  for  painting,  a  trade  to  which  I 
was  brought  up,  being  connected  with  coach  making,  and 
followed  the  greatest  part  of  my  life ;  having  been  unsuccessful 
in  every  attempt  to  make  an  honest  and  honorable  living  by  a 
more  consistent  business ;  and  now  in  the  decline  of  life,  near  my 
seventieth  year,  with  a  body  reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton,  racked 
by  a  tremendous  cough,  with  scarcely  breath  and  strength  at 
times  to  breathe  or  walk,  I  should  be  a  burthen  on  my  family  or 
friends  were  it  not  for  my  knowledge  of  painting,  by  which  I  am 
still  enabled  to  minister  to  my  own  necessities  and  them  that  are 
with  me,  through  the  kind  patronage  of  a  few  noble,  generous 
Friends,  and  friendly  people,  who,  in  my  case,  practically  answer 
that  query  in  our  Christian  Discipline,  "Are  poor  Friends' 
necessities  duly  inspected,  and  are  fchey  relieved  and  assisted  in 
such  business  as  they  are  capable  of?" 


MEMOIR. 


Newtoivn,  4:th  mo.  4tth,  1843. 
I  am,  this  day,  sixty-three  years  of  age,  and  I  have  thought 
right  to  attempt,  at  least,  to  write  a  short  narrative  of  my  life, 
by  way  of  testimony  to  the  mercy  and  goodness  of  a  gracious 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  my  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour.  And 
here  it  would  be  proper  to  try  to  explain  what  I  mean  by  the 
term  Saviour,  for  I  shall  make  a  free  use  thereof.  I  have 
been  charged  by  some  of  my  friends,  with  ambiguity  of  ex- 
pression, and  I  think  treated  rather  rudely,  both  publicly  and 
privately,  for  making  use  of  this  sublime  and  appropriate 
word,  Saviour. 

I  have  been,  more  especially  during  the  last  years  of  my 
life,  renewedly  concerned  to  be  established  in  a  unity  of  be- 
lief with  the  primitive  saints  and  the  primitive  Quakers.  First 
with  the  beloved  disciple,  John,  where  he  says,  ''In  the  be- 
ginning was  the  word,  and  the  word  was  with  God,  and  the 
w^ord  was  God."  ''All  things  were  made  by  him,  and  with- 
out him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made."  "In  him 
was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men.''  This  light,  that 
lighteneth  every  rational  soul  that  cometh  into  the  world, 
shineth  in  darkness,  but  the  darkness  comprehendeth  it  not, 
for  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds 
are  evil;  nevertheless,  this  is  the  true  light,  that  can  only 
give  true  sight  to  the  rational  soul,  and  it  is  only  this  true 
sight,  that  can  give  a  true  sense  of  the  soul's  sinful  state; 
and  it  is  this  sense  that  gives  a  right  sorrow,  and  this  sorrow 
a  true  repentance,  not  to  be  repented  of,  and  such  repentance 
gives  an  admittance  within  the  inclosure  of  the  glorious  attri- 
bute of  mercy,  which  pardons  guilty  man.     Such  immortal 

2 


11 

Roiils  arc  born  again  of  water  and  of  the  spirit,  waslied  in  the 
hiver  of  regeneration.  These  are  the  babes  in  Christ,  to  whom 
the  revehation  of  his  will  is  made.  These  feeling  their  need 
of  a  Saviour,  are  true  believers  in  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  eternal 
Word,  that  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  This  was  the 
Word  that  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  justified  in  the  spirit, 
seen  of  angels,  preached  unto  the  Gentiles,  believed  on  in  the 
Yv'orld,  and  received  up  into  glory.  This  was  the  Word  that 
took  flesh  (or  "was  made  flesh")  which  he  had  prepared  for  that 
purpose,  and  dwelt  among  the  Israelites.  And  such  of  the  Jews 
as  were  obedient  to  the  light,  were  quickened  by  the  life,  to 
behold  the  glory  of  this  manifestation  of  the  eternal  Word,  as 
the  glory  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and 
truth.  This  is  the  Christ  Jesus  that  Paul  confidently  believed 
had  come  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  of  whom  he  declared 
he  was  chief;  and  that  this  Christ  was  the  Son  of  God,  by 
whom  he  had  spoken,  in  these  last  days,  to  the  children  of 
men,  and  whom  he  had  appointed  heir  of  all  things,  and  by 
whom  he  had  made  the  worlds,  who  being  the  brightness  of 
his  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person,  he  upheld  all 
things  by  the  word  of  his  power.  To  all  them  that  look  in 
the  light  for  this  glorious  appearance  of  the  great  God,  and  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  Paul  has  encouragingly  declared,  that 
he  will  appear  a  second  time,  without  sin,  unto  salvation. 

Second!}^,  I  sincerely  unite  with  the  primitive  Quakers,  in  a 
belief  of  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
shall  quote  a  short  testimony  of  William  Penn,  where  he 
abundantly  sheweth,  from  scripture,  the  propriety  of  the  word 
Saviour,  as  applied  to  God  and  Christ.  '^I,  even  I,  am  the 
Lord,  and  beside  me  there  is  no  Saviour;'^  and  "thou  shalt 
know  no  God  but  me,  for  there  is  no  Saviour  beside  me."  And 
Mary  said  "My  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour;'^  and 
the  Samaritans  said  unto  the  woman,  "Now  we  know  that  this 
is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world. '^  "  According 
to  this  grace  made  manifest  by  the  appearing  of  our  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.''  "Simon  Peter  to  them  that  obtained  like  pre- 
cious faith  with  us,  through  the  righteousness  of  God  and  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ.'^  "For,  therefore,  we  suffer  reproach, 
because  we  trust  in  the  living  God,  who  is  the  Saviour  of  all 
men."  "To  the  only  wise  God,  our  Saviour,  be  glory." 
"From  which/'  continues  dear  William  Penn^  "I  conclude 


15 

Christ  to  be  God,  for  if  none  can  save,  or  be  styled  properly 
a  Saviour  but  God,  and  yet  that  Christ  is  said  to  save,  and  is 
properly  called  a  Saviour,  it  must  needs  follow  that  Christ  the 
Saviour  is  God.'^  These  are  William  Penn's  own  words,  with 
which  I  do  most  cordially  unite,  especially  where  he  adds,  "I 
sincerely  and  unfeignedly  believe — by  virtue  of  the  sound 
knowledge  and  experience  received  from  the  gift  of  that  holy 
vmction  and  divine  grace  inspired  from  on  high — in  one  holy, 
just,  merciful,  almighty  and  eternal  God,  who  is  the  Father  of 
all  things,  that  appeared  to  the  holy  patriarchs  and  prophets 
of  old,  at  sundry  times  and  after  divers  manners;  and  in  one 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  everlasting  wisdom,  divine  power,  true 
light  and  only  Saviour  and  preserver  of  all :  the  same  one, 
holy,  just,  merciful,  almighty  and  eternal  God/'  This  is  the 
Saviour  to  whose  arms  I  verily  believe  my  dying  mother  com- 
mended her  infant  son,  whose  undying  love  kindled  the  first 
devotional  fire  or  feelings  on  the  altar  of  my  heart.  This  is 
the  Saviour  I  was  led  to  love  in  my  infancy,  adore  in  the  ma- 
turity of  manhood,  and  has  now  become  the  rock  of  my  sal- 
vation, as  I  stand  upon  the  brink  of  an  eternal  world- 
Having  now  given,  I  hope,  explanation  enough  to  satisfy 
any  reasonable  person,  professing  to  be  a  Christian,  of  what  I 
mean  by  the  word  or  term  Saviour,  I  shall  not  attempt  fur- 
ther to  satisfy  the  quibbling  skeptic,  but  proceed  with  my  nar- 
rative. 

I  was  born  in  the  village  of  Attleborough,  Middletown 
township,  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  the  fourth  of  the  Fourth 
month,  called  April,  1780.  My  parents  were  Isaac  and 
Catharine  Hicks,  both  regularly  descended  from  Thomas  Hicks, 
spoken  of  in  the  Journal  of  our  ancient  friend  Samuel  Bow- 
nas,  as  was  also  my  late  distinguished  kinsman,  Elias  Hicks> 
I  am  thus  particular,  as  I  write  principally  for  my  children, 
and  do  not  wish  that  some  peculiar  circumstances,  in  relation 
to  our  family,  should  be  lost. 

Our  progenitor,  Thomas  Hicks,  appears  to  have  been  a  na- 
tive of  Long  Island,  and  I  find  from  the  journal,  or  writings 
of  that  faithful  blacksmith,  Samuel  Bownas,  who  followed  the 
Saviour  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  that  when  he  was  on 
a  religious  visit  to  Long  Island,  in  1702,  he  was  sued  at  the 
law  by  the  Episcopal  priests,  among  whom  was  the  apostate 
Quaker  preacher,  George  Keith;  and  their  party  being  at  the 


16 

head  of  government,  lie  was  thrown  into  prison  at  Jamaica, 
for  bearing  a  faithful  testimony  against  the  ecclesiastical  ma- 
chinery of  a  mercenary  priesthood ;   at  which  time,   Samuel 
Bays,  an  honest  old  man,  his  name  was  Thomas  Hicks,  who 
had  been  chief  justice  in  the  province  some  years,  and  was 
well  versedin  the  law,  came  to  visit  me ;    and  on  my  standing 
up  to  pay  my  respects  to  him,  he  took  me  in  his  arms,  salut- 
ing me  with  tears,  and  thus  expressed  himself,  ''Dear  Samuel, 
the  Lord  hath  made  use  of  you,  as  an  instrument,  to  put  a 
stop  to  arbitrary  proceedings  in  our  courts  of  justice,  which 
have  met  with  great  encouragement  since  Lord  Cornbury  has 
been  governor;  but  there  has  never  so  successful  a  stand  been 
made  against  it,  as  at  this  time ;  the  eyes  of  the  country  are 
so  clearly  opened  by  your  case.     Had,  says  he,  the  Presby- 
terians stood  as  you  have  done,  they  had  not  so  tamely  left 
their  meeting-houses    to  the  church.     But  that  people  had 
never  so  good  a  hand  at  suffering  in  the  cause  of  conscience, 
as  they  have   had  in   persecuting  others  that  differed   from 
them.''     ''This  honest  man,"  continues  Samuel,  "as  if  he  had 
been  sent  by  Divine  comniission,  by  his  discourse,  raised  my 
drooping  spirits.'' 

I  think  it  is  quite  possible  that  there  is  a  little  too  much 
vanity  in  mentioning  here  what  dear  old  Elias  Hicks  once  told 
me.  He  thought  my  father  was  more  like  this  Thomas  Hicks, 
than  any  branch  of  the  family  he  ever  knew  or  heard  of,  and 
I  believe  Elias  further  told  me,  that  Thomas  Hicks  had  nine 
sons,  and  that  Colonel  Isaac  Hicks,  my  great  grandfather,  was 
one  of  them,  and  the  same  man  that  was  on  the  jury  at  the 
time  of  Samuel  Bownas'  trial. 

My  grandft\ther,  Gilbert  Hicks,  (my  father's  father)  married 
the  daughter  of  Joseph  Rodman,  of  Long  Island,  a  consistent, 
active  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  the  young  man, 
not  being  a  member,  the  marriage,  of  course,  was  clandestine, 
which  was  a  cause  of  sorrow  to  the  dear  old  friend.  Notwith- 
standing this,  he  could  not  be  inexorable,  for  he  was  a  Chris- 
tian. He  therefore  received  his  daughter,  with  her  husband, 
as  his  dear  children,  and  thus  addressed  them,  "I  am  old,  and 
you  are  young,  and  would  wish  to  be  settled  in  life;  I  there- 
fore propose,  that  joii  go  into  the  new  countries,  [as  Pennsyl- 
vania was  then  called,]  and  settle  on  a  tract  of  land,  of  about 
six  hundred  acres,  that  I  own,  near  the  river  Delaware,  on  the 


17 

Neshaminy  creek,  twenty  miles  east  of  Philadelpliia,  and  as  It 
is  worth  at  least  three  hundred  pounds,  more  than  would  be  a 
just  proportion  of  your  share  of  my  estate,  you  must  give  me 
a  bond  for  that  sum,  on  my  executing  a  deed  that  shall  give 
you  a  substantial  title/' 

The  proposition  of  the  good  old  Friend,  was  acceded  to  by 
his  children,  and  in  the  winter  of  1747  and  '48,  they  came  on, 
and  found  a  part  of  the  land  cleared,  and  a  comfortable  log 
house,  where  they  were  hospitably  received  by  a  family  of  the 
name  of  Vansant,  and  where  my  father  was  born,  the  twenty- 
first  of  the  fourth  month,  1748,  (old  style).  After  building 
for  themselves  a  comfortable  dwelling,  the  fii'st  thing  they  did, 
was  to  sell  oif  two  hundred  acres  of  the  land,  to  Lawrence 
Growden,  for  three  hundred  pounds,  with  which  they  payed 
their  father,  and  found  themselves  snugly  settled  on  a  farm  of 
four  hundred  acres  of  fii'st  rate  land,  clear  of  all  incumbrance ; 
enhancing  in  value  daily,  by  the  astonishing  influx  of  European 
settlers. 

Whether  it  was  their  wealth,  or  their  intelligence,  or  botli, 
they  certainly  appeal-  to  have  obtained  a  respectable  standing ; 
for  my  grandfather  received  a  commission  from  the  royal  go- 
vernment, as  one  of  the  justices  of  the  peace  for  the  county  of 
Bucks. 

Either  a  fondness  for  pul)lic  business,  or  getting  tired  of  the 
labor  and  care  of  so  large  a  farm,  induced  my  grandfather  to 
sell  his  large  farm  of  four  hundred  aci'es,  and  to  pm*chasc  a 
small  one,  coming  to  a  point,  in  the  south-east  corner  of  what 
was  then  called  Four-lanes-end,  (now  Attleborough),  of  one 
hundred  acres.  Here  he  built  a  spacious  brick  house,  that  is 
still  standing;  and  moreover,  it  appears,  that  having  become 
wealthy,  he  devoted  himself  almost  exclusively  to  public  busi- 
ness, being  promoted  to  the  office  of  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas.  And  now  I  shall  record  the  circumstances 
of  my  grandfather's  passing  judgment  upon  two  colored  men, 
who  were  tried  before  him  for  some  act  that  transported  them 
to  the  "West  Indies,  for  life,  as  slaves. 

Notwithstanding  the  evidence  against  them  appeared  eon- 
elusive,  my  grandfather  had  conscientious  scruples  as  to  the 
justice  of  the  sentence.  It  appears  that  the  voice  of  the  spirit 
of  truth,  addressed  to  the  ear  of  his  soul,  showed  him  plainly 
that  he  had  better  sacrifice  his  lucrative  and  honorable  office, 

2* 


18 

nnd  all  the  favor  of  the  royal  government,  than  pass  the  sen- 
tence of  the  law  on  the  poor  fugitives  before  him  \  a  sentence 
that  must  separate  them  from  all  their  nearest  and  dearest  con- 
nections in  life,  and  send  them  as  exiles,  to  die  by  the  hand  of 
oppression,  in  a  foreign  land.  But  my  poor  grandfather  was 
then  basking  in  the  sunshine  of  prosperity,  increasing  in 
wealth.  He  was  a  politician,  he  had  been  an  office-hunter, 
and  was  now  an  office-holder,  and  therefore  would  not  give  up 
to  the  heavenly  vision.  The  consequence  was,  that  in  the  re- 
turn of  retributive  justice,  in  less  than  seven  years,  he  lost  the 
object  of  his  3-outliful  aifections,  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  the 
mother  of  his  children;  and  by  continuing  his  attachment  to 
his  royal  master,  in  opposition  to  the  American  patriots,  whom 
he  imprudently  insulted,  he  was  driven  from  his  home,  his 
country,  and  property,  and  from  every  near  and  dear  connec- 
tion in  life,  becoming  an  exile  in  a  foreign  land,  where  his 
days  were  suddenly  ended  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin;  and  his 
property  being  all  confiscated,  his  family  was  reduced  to 
indigence,  if  not  to  penury.  Such  was  the  end  of  my  dear 
grandfather. 

Whilst  he  found  an  asylum  with  the  British  army  at  New 
York,  my  father  paid  him  his  last  visit,  and  on  parting,  my 
grandfather  gave  his  son  his  last  advice,  in  a  language  like 
this,  "  You  are  a  young  man,  and  as  you  may  be  exposed  to 
many  temptations,  my  last  and  most  serious  advice  to  you  is, 
never  act  contrary  to  your  conscientious  feelings;  never  diso- 
bey the  voice  of  eternal  truth  in  your  own  soul.  Sacrifice 
property,  personal  liberty,  and  even  life  itself,  rather  than  be 
disobedient  to  a  Heavenly  vision.  I  disobeyed  this  inward 
monitor,  and  am  now  suffering  the  due  reward  of  my  deeds. '^ 
Such  were  the  last  words  of  my  dear  old  grandfjither  to  his  son, 
on  leaving  New  York  with  the  British  army,  at  the  close  of 
the  Revolution,  for  Nova  Scotia.  My  venerable  fiither,  at  the 
age  of  four  score,  related  the  circumstance  to  me,  in  such  an 
impressive  manner,  that  I  had  no  doubt  that  he  wished  it 
handed  down  to  posterity.  I  therefore  record  it  for  our  benefit, 
hoping  that  the  lesson  of  deep  instruction  it  contains,  may  be 
a  warning  to  our  youth,  from  falling  into  the  fatal  error  of 
Esau,  who  sold  that  precious  birth-right,  for  a  mess  of  pottage, 
that  he  afterwards  sought,  with  tears,  but  could  not  find. 

My  grandfather;  Colonel  Edward  Hicks,  (my  mother's  fa- 


19 

thcr,)  was  a  first  cousin  to  the  foregoing,  and  married  Violetta 
Eickctts,  of  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  a  high  church  woman. 
They  had  twelve  children,  my  mother  being  the  youngest. 
Her  eldest  sister,  Mary,  married  Bishop  Seabury,  of  New 
York. 

Her  two  eldest  brothers,  William  and  Edward,  T  was  told, 
by  George  Dilwyn,  who  went  to  school  with  them  in  Burling- 
ton, were,  as  he  thought,  the  two  prettiest  boys  he  ever 
saw,  and  I  think,  he  added,  the  best  scholars  in  the  school. 
But  an  American  school  does  not  appear  to  have  been  sufficient 
for  all  high  churchmen,  for  I  find  by  papers  now  in  my  pos- 
session, that  uncle  "William  was  entered  a  student  at  law,  in  the 
Inner  Temple,  London,  1753. 

By  letters  written  by  my  uncle  Edward,  that  I  have  lately 
been  furnished  with,  it  appears  that  he  was  an  officer  in  the 
British  army,  and  died,  as  it  were,  an  untimely  death,  at  Fort 
George,  in  the  West  Indies. 

My  uncle  William,  after  all  the  pains  that  was  taken  to  give 
him  a  great  scholastic  education,  was  heard  to  lament  in  a  lan- 
guage like  this,  ''Ah,  my  poor  deluded  parents,  they  have  only 
been  concerned  to  put  me  in  possession  of  all  kinds  of  sense, 
but  common  sense !"  He  was  unfit  to  fill,  with  propriety,  the 
social  and  relative  duties  of  life,  and  notwithstanding  he  had 
warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  proprietors,  and  was  such  a 
favorite  with  the  Penn  fiimily,  that  they  put  him  into  the 
Prothonotary's  office,  then  the  most  lucrative  office  in  the 
county  of  Bucks,  his  education  had  so  fostered  his  natural 
pride  and  extravagance,  that  the  want  of  common  sense  kept 
him  poor,  and,  to  add  to  his  difficulties,  his  father,  who  was  a 
merchant  in  New  York,  failed  in  his  business,  and  became 
poor,  no  doubt  from  the  same  causes,  that  is,  pride,  extrava- 
gance and  a  want  of  common  sense. 

Having  been  furnished  recently,  through  the  kindness  of 
Doctor  Gordon,  with  several  letters  written  by  my  uncles 
William  and  Edward,  I  have  been  led  to  compare  them  with 
letters  written  by  their  cousin  Elias  Hicks,  who  was  brought 
up  in  the  path  of  humble  industry.  They  are  inferior  in  every 
characteristic  of  good  writing,  and  no  marvel  that  it  should  be 
so,  for  mark  the  diiFerence  in  their  education.  While  the 
pretty  boys  and  best  scholars,  as  George  Dilwyn  called  them, 
were  going  to  high  schools  and  colleges,  those  nurseries  of 


20 

pride,  indolence  and  effeminency,  the  bane  of  true  republican- 
ism, and  most  efficient  contrivance  of  Satan,  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  primitive  Christianity,  Eliaswas  laboring  hard  through 
the  day,  at  the  useful  and  highly  honorable  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter, improving  himself  in  the  evening  in  useful  knowledge, 
when  others  were  asleep.  The  consequence  was,  the  former, 
overwhelmed  with  pride,  luxury,  idleness  and  disease,  sunk 
unnoticed,  into  an  untimely  grave.  The  latter  arose  from  the 
path  of  humble  industry,  by  virtue,  knowledge,  temperance, 
patience,  godliness,  brotherly  kindness,  and  charity,  to  be  one 
of  the  most  dignified  practical  Christians,  Christendom  ever 
saw,  and  after  living  for  more  than  four  score  years,  passed 
out  of  time  into  eternity,  to  be  joined  to  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the 
first  born,  whose  names  are  written  in  heaven;  and  leaving 
behind  him  a  savour,  grateful  to  surviving  generations;  a  name, 
I  hope,  that  stands  gloriously  enrolled  on  the  records  of 
eternity. 

My  dear  mother  appears  to  have  received,  what  I  would  call 
a  bad  education  for  a  woman.  She  was  brought  up  in  pride, 
and  idleness,  and  was  the  very  reverse  of  a  perfect  woman,  as 
set  forth  by  the  inspired  poet,  in  the  last  chapter  of  Proverbs. 
It  was  such  an  education  as  was  calculated  to  make,  what  the 
high  church  would  call,  a  lady;  a  friend  to  kings  and  priests. 

But  the  tremendous  turnings  and  overturnings  that  took 
place  in  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  produced  a  great  change 
in  my  mother's  family,  and  the  success  of  the  American  pat- 
riots, in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  present  excellent  govern- 
ment, deprived  the  royal  aristocrats  of  their  lucrative  offices, 
reducing  our  family  to  comparative  poverty.  But  the  afflict- 
ing dispensation  appears  to  have  had  a  good  effect  upon  my 
mother,  for  she  was  brought  by  the  sanctifying  influence  of 
the  ever  blessed  Tmth,  to  her  Saviour's  feet,  to  wash  them  with 
tears,  where,  I  have  no  doubt,  she  was  concerned  in  a  spirifual 
sense,  to  beg  of  her  Saviour  to  take  her  unprotected  infant  son 
into  his  arms  and  bless  him.  And  from  the  best  information 
I  am  in  possession  of,  and  which  seems  confirmed  by  the  im- 
pressions of  my  mind,  my  precious  mother,  on  her  death  bed, 
was  fully  convinced  of  the  blessed  Truth,  as  held  by  Friends. 
For  I  understood  she  requested  that  there  should  be  no  super- 
fluity about  her  corpse  or  her  coffin^  and  that  there  should  be 


21 

no  monument  of  any  kind  placed  at  her  grave,  wliich  appears 
to  have  been  complied  with,  for  when  I  went  into  what  is 
called  St.  Mary's  church-yard,  in  Burlington,  to  look  for  her 
grave,  I  could  not  find  it.  This  seems  the  more  extraordinary, 
as  she  had  been  educated  and  brought  up  a  regular  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  and  the  rest  of  her  family  that  had  died, 
had  been  buried  in  vaults,  in  the  high  church  style. 

Thus  ended  the  earthly  pilgrimage  of  my  mother,  Catharine 
Hicks,  on  the  19th  of  the  10th  month,  1781,  in  the  36th 
year  of  her  age,  in  Burlington,  N.  J.,  leaving  her  poor  little 
feeble  infant  under  the  care  of  her  colored  woman,  Jane,  who 
had  been  a  slave  in  the  family,  and  being  left  to  shift  for  her- 
self, took  me  with  her  like  her  own  child,  for  my  father  was 
now  broken  up,  having  no  home  of  his  own,  or  any  busi- 
ness by  which  he  could  support  and  keep  his  children  to- 
gether. 

This  colored  woman,  Jane,  worked  about  among  the  farmers 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Four-lanes-end,  or  Attleborough  and 
Newtown,  for  a  living,  taking  me  with  her.  Being  at  the 
house  of  a  friend,  by  the  name  of  Janney,  at  the  last-mentioned 
place,  where  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  David  Twining,  was  in  the 
habit  of  visiting,  she  noticed  a  poor  sickly-looking  white  child, 
who  appeared  to  be  under  the  care  of  a  colored  woman  that 
seemed  cross  to  it,  and  was  led  to  inquire  whose  child  it  was. 
When  informed  that  it  was  the  youngest  child  of  her  dear 
deceased  friend,  Kitty  Hicks,  that  she  had  seen  about  a  year 
before  in  its  mother's  arms,  dressed  in  rich  and  gay  apparel ; 
her  sympathy  for  the  child  and  love  for  the  mother,  caused 
her  to  express  herself  on  this  wise  :  ''  Oh  !  that  my  husband 
was  willing,  I  would  take  this  child  and  bring  it  up  as  my 
own."  My  ftither  was  soon  informed  of  this  circumstance, 
and  begged  of  her  to  take  his  poor  little  son  as  a  boarder, 
which  she  agreed  to  do,  with  her  husband's  consent. 

David  Twining  was  one  of  the  most  respectable,  intelligent, 
and  wealthy  farmers  in  the  county  of  Bucks,  having  been 
chosen  one  of  the  Provincial  Assembly,  though  an  exemplary 
member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  His  wife,  Elizabeth,  was 
just  such  a  woman  as  is  described  in  the  last  chapter  of  Pro- 
verbs. 

They  had  four  daughters:  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  and 
Beulah,  who  was  about  fourteen  years  old.     Sarah  was  mar- 


ried  soon  after  I  was  introduced  into  the  family ;  of  course,  I 
was  not  well  acquainted  with  her  until  towards  the  close  of  her 
life;  and,  whatever  might  have  been  her  domestic  foibles,  she 
certainly  appeared  to  me  one  of  the  most  dignified  women  I 
ever  witnessed  upon  a  death-bed- 
Elizabeth  married  William  Hopkins,  a  plain,  exemplary 
young  friend  of  Philadelphia,  and  settled  in  that  city.  He 
died  some  years  before  his  wife,  in  the  house  where  they  were 
married.  Elizabeth  died  in  New  York,  with  a  scirrhus  or 
cancer  in  her  breast.  She  was  a  respectable  elder  in  the 
Society  of  Friends. 

Mary  and  Beulah,  being  younger,  were  more  like  my  sisters, 
and,  indeed,  they  seemed  to  have  adopted  me  as  their  brother 
in  my  infancy,  and  ever  manifested  a  sisterly  kindness.  Mary 
married  Jesse  Leedom,  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
the  son  of  a  wealthy  and  enterprising  merchant  and  farmer  of 
Northampton,  They  are  both  still  living,  worthy  Friends,  but 
well  stricken  in  years.  Mary  seems  nearly  worn  out,  and 
should  I  survive  her,  I  shall  have  to  say,  I  have  lost  the  best 
friend  I  have  in  the  world  out  of  my  own  family.  She  was 
more  like  her  mother  than  any  of  her  sisters. 

Beulah  was  the  youngest,  and  possessed  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary powers.  She  was  certainly  calculated  to  be  greatly  good, 
but  the  improper  indulgence  of  her  eccentric  self-will,  threw 
her  out  of  her  orbit ;  and,  instead  of  being  a  fixed  star  in  the 
fii'mament  of  God's  power,  that  shines  with  new  accessions  of 
glory,  and  brightens  to  all  eternity,  she  was  more  like  the  comet 
that  takes  an  eccentric  course  among  the  constellations  of 
heaven,  and  shines,  or  rather  dazzles,  only  for  a  moment,  and 
then  sinks  into  oblivion.  Dear  adopted  sister,  Beulah  E. 
Twining,  thy  history,  which  would  furnish  materials  for  one 
of  the  most  interesting  pernicious  novels,  I  wish  to  record  in  a 
few  words,  for  the  instruction  of  such  young  women  as  may 
be  possessed  of  such  superior  advantages.  She  was  the  favorite 
or  pet  of  her  father,  and  transacted  the  principal  part  of  his 
business ;  and  the  township  library  being  kept  in  his  house, 
she  became  excessively  fond  of  reading,  particularly  novels, 
which,  when  her  indulgent  parents  disapproved  of,  she  took  to 
her  chamber  and  would  read  by  moonlight.  This  act  of  diso- 
bedience to  parents,  soon  led  the  wayward  young  girl  to  do 
another  act  that  too  often  breaks  up  the  foundation  of  rational 


23 

happiness  In  this  world,  obstructs  the  channel  in  which  woman's 
most  distinguished  usefulness  runs,  and  in  her  case,  ended  in  liti- 
gation, confusion,  and  loss.  She  married  a  young  Presbyterian 
Doctor,  whose  only  recommendation  was  a  handsome  exterior, 
while  there  was  nothing  within  to  correspond  with  the  pleasing 
appearance  without,  and  hence  the  tie  was  too  feeble  to  hold 
her  affections,  and  she  left  him  with  the  same  self-will  and 
determination  in  which  she  married  him,  and  in  direct  oppo- 
sition to  the  advice  of  her  parents,  and  the  order  of  the  religi- 
ous society  of  which  she  was  a  member.  Her  father  dying  about 
this  time,  left  her  a  large  estate,  both  real  and  personal.  An 
application  on  her  part  for  a  divorce,  brought  on  a  vexatious 
and  disgraceful  law  suit  between  her  and  her  husband,  which 
was  only  terminated  through  the  management  of  a  distinguished 
congressman  from  Connecticut,  who  advised  her  how  to  throw 
her  cause  into  the  Supreme  Court  of  that  State,  and  employ 
the  eccentric  but  excellent  Tappan  Reeves  for  her  advocate. 

Notwithstanding  the  formidable  opposition  of  her  husband, 
she  obtained  her  divorce  at  the  expense  of  all  her  personal 
estate,  and  a  heavy  incumbrance  on  the  real ;  and,  with  a 
broken  constitution,  a  crippled  reputation,  and  a  wounded  spirit, 
she  returned  like  the  penitent  prodigal  to  her  father's  house ; 
and  entering  the  path  of  humble  industry,  by  superior  manage- 
ment of  a  superior  farm,  she  soon  payed  off  all  her  debts,  filled 
with  a  degree  of  propriety  the  social  and  relative  duties  of  life, 
as  the  head  of  a  family,  and  became  reinstated  a  useful  member 
of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

She  was  a '  sister  I  had  reason  to  love ;  she  was  a  friend  in 
need,  and  therefore  a  friend  indeed  ]  and  when  she  died  in  the 
11th  month,  1826,  with  the  disease  of  her  sister  Elizabeth,  I 
felt  that  I  had  lost  one  of  my  best  friends;  a  loss,  too,  that 
was  not  relieved  by  any  consideration  of  gain,  for,  agreeable 
to  my  advice,  she  left  me  not  one  cent  of  her  estate,  which  has 
caused  me  frequently  to  rejoice,  when  I  saw  myself  clear  of 
that  ravening  wolfish  spirit  that  too  often  attends  the  settling 
of  such  estates.  I  have  been  thus  particular,  as  I  wish  to 
leave  some  advice  to  young  women,  touching  some  points  of 
my  sister's  history. 

And,  first,  I  want  to  persuade  them  not  to  treat  with  dis- 
respect the  counsel  of  goodly  parents  and  guardians,  in  the 
choice  of  books  and  company,  for  these  generally  form  the 


24 

common  mind  of  young  people ;  and  a  young  girl  that  will 
indulge  her  inclination  to  read  novels,  will  soon  be  prepared 
toprefer  bad  company  to  good ;  and  hence,  too,  many  lovely 
young  women,  when  they  come  upon  the  stage  of  life,  enter    " 
the  wide  gate,  and  walk  in  the  broad  way  that  leads  to  the 
destruction  of  their  peace  and  happiness  in  this  world,  if  not 
in  the  world  to  come.     Oh  !  then,  permit  me  to  beseech  you 
with   a  ftitherly  affection,  for  the  sake  of  your  present  and 
everlasting  happiness,  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  to  take 
up  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  deny  that  cursed  self  that  leads  to 
disobedience  to  parents.     Never,  never,  dear  children,  "pierce 
with  sorrow  that  breast  that  has  been  your  support  in  your 
infantile  years. '^     And  I  will  say  to  such  of  my  dear  friends 
who  fill  the  responsible  stations  of  parents  and  heads  of  families, 
keep  to  the  advice  of  our  excellent  Christian  discipline,  with 
regard  to  the  hooks  that  your  children  read,  and  the  company 
they  keep.     I  think  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  experience 
the  advantages  of  such  care,  and  to  see  the  consequences  of 
trampling  such  advice  under  foot,  in  the  situation  of  too  many 
Friends,  whose  children  finally  became  their  oppressors. 

I  now  return  to  Elizabeth  Twining,  the  mother  of  the  women 
I  have  alluded  to,  whom  I  have  already  said  was  best  described 
by  the  inspired  poetry  of  the  last  chapter  of  Proverbs.  She  was 
certainly  the  best  example  of  humble  industry  I  ever  knew 
for  so  wealthy  a  woman.  It  was  this  woman  that  it  seems 
was  providentially  appointed  to  adopt  me  as  a  sou,  and  to  be 
to  me  a  delegated  shepherdess,  under  the  great  Shepherd  and 
Bishop  of  souls.  She  had  the  simplicity  and  almost  the  inno- 
cence of  a  child.  Being  deprived  of  her  parents  in  her  child- 
hood, and  left  poor,  she  received  no  scholastic  education,  only 
learning  to  read  after  she  was  grown  up ;  yet  she  read  the 
Scriptures  with  a  sweetness,  solemnity,  and  feeling  I  never 
heard  equalled.  How  often  have  I  stood,  or  sat  by  her,  before 
I  could  read  myself,  and  heard  her  read,  particularly  the  26th 
chapter  of  Matthew,  which  made  the  deepest  impression  on 
my  mind.  It  was  there  that  all  the  sympathy  of  my  heart, 
all  the  finer  feelings  of  my  nature,  were  concentrated  in  love 
to  my  blessed  Saviour.  It  was  then,  in  his  spiritual  appearance, 
as  a  quickening  spirit,  that  he  kindled  the  first  devotional  fire 
on  the  altar  of  my  heart,  a  fire  that  was  not  extingiiished  even 
by  juvenile  infatuation,  a  fire  that  was  rekindled  about  the 


25 

twenty-first  year  of  my  age,  the  liglit  wliereof  led  me  to  a 
Saviour's  feet,  whilst  its  genial  warmth  melted  me  into  tears 
of  repentance  and  love. 

What  an  inestimable  blessing  to  a  child  is  a  truly  humble 
Christian  mother.  They  are  made  use  of  by  that  blessed  spirit 
embraced  in  the  figure  of  the  householder,  set  forth  by  that 
inimitable  parable  (see  Matthew,  the  20th  chap.)  when  they  do 
as  my  dear  mother  did,  go  early  in  the  morning,  at  the  third 
hour,  and  get  the  child  to  agree  for  the  penny  to  go  into  the 
Lord's  vineyard  j  then  when  the  invitation  comes  at  the  sixth 
hour,  as  the  rational  being  comes  to  maturity,  the  heavenly 
visitation  is  most  likely  to  be  eifectual,  as  in  my  case.  But 
where  early  impressions  are  neglected,  the  loss  that  children 
sustain  is  almost  incalculable,  for  although  all  young  men  and 
women  are  called,  it  is  at  a  time  when  the  waves  of  youthful 
2)assion  roll  the  highest  and  are  the  most  turbulent,  which 
nothing  but  the  power  of  a  Saviour  can  still;  but  if  he  is  not 
on  board  their  little  bark,  how  can  he  rise  and  still  the  storm ; 
but  if  he  is  on  board,  the  vessel  cannot  be  lost,  notwithstanding 
he  may  be  asleep.  Oh  !  then,  the  infinite  importance  of  intro- 
ducing children  to  a  "  Christ  within  the  hope  of  glory/^ 

I  continued  under  the  care  of  my  adopted  mother,  as  a 
boarder,  until  I  was  turned  of  thirteen  ;  when  my  father  finding 
himself  disappointed  in  his  prospect  of  making  a  great  man  out 
of  a  weak  little  boy,  by  scholastic  learning  or  education,  did 
the  best  thing  that  he  could  have  done,  by  binding  me  out  an 
apprentice  to  an  industrious  mechanic;  for  here  the  propensity 
to  idleness,  for  which  I  had  a  natural  turn,  was  necessarily 
counteracted.  AVhat  a  pity  other  parents  and  guardians  do 
not  follow  his  example.  We  should  have  more  humble  in- 
dustry, and  less  pride,  idleness,  and  covetousness  :  three  of 
the  greatest  enemies  to  a  republican  government,  and  with 
dishonesty  added  to  their  company,  the  most  formidable  ene- 
mies of  the  Church  of  Christ.  We  should  have  more  working 
men  and  good  mechanics,  and  fewer  priests  and  lazy  ministers, 
whose  consciences  are  seared  as  it  were  with  a  hot  iron,  having 
so  little  religious  sensibility  that  they  can  live  on  the  honest 
industry  of  poor  silly  women,  male  and  female.  We  should 
have  fewer  lawyers,  doctors,  oflice-hunters,  speculators,  lec- 
turers, conjurers,  and  merely  professing  Christians,  which  the 
primitive  saints  would  have  disowned;  as  busy  bodies,  that 

3 


26 

work  not  at  all,  (see  2  Thcssalonians,  od  chap.  10,  11,  and  12 
verses.) 

I  say,  what  a  pity  that  parents  and  guardians  could  not  see 
what  my  father  might  have  seen,  that  the  more  scholastic 
learning  is  wasted  on  a  weak  boy,  the  bigger  blockhead  he  will 
become.  Whether  he  made  this  discovery  or  not,  at  that  time, 
i  must  leave ;  one  thing  is  certain,  he  was  disappointed  in  my 
not  taking  learning,  for  he  intended  me  for  a  lawyer,  as  he  had 
made  a  doctor  of  my  only  brother  Gilbert.  But  his  ambitious 
views  were  baffled  in  us  both,  and  our  precious  mother's  dying 
prayers  were  answered.  Gilbert  took  a  religious  turn,  joined 
the  Society  of  Friends,  and  became,  what  is  a  phenomenon  in 
the  faculty,  a  humble  practical  Christian,  'an  honor  to  his  pro- 
fession, and  an  innocent  upright  man,  that  had  a  word  of  ex- 
hortation as  a  minister  before  he  died. 

My  father  might  have  succeeded  more  to  his  mind  in  the 
education  of  my  only  sister,  two  years  older  than  m3^self,  for 
she  was  put  to  a  boarding  school,  and  brought  ujd  in  the  gay 
world  in  pride  and  idleness.  But,  marrying  a  young  man, 
who  was  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  coming  up  on  foot, 
she  joined  him  in  his  journey,  and  they  had  advanced  so  far 
in  the  estimation  of  the  people,  that  her  husband  had  become 
high  sheriff  of  the  county ;  and  she  herself,  according  to  his 
testimony,  looking  towards  uniting  with  her  brother,  when, 
by  a  sudden  and  aiFecting  death,  her  course  in  this  world  was 
stopped. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  7th  month,  1817,  in  the  evening 
of  the  day,  she  had  prepared  supper,  and  stepped  out  to  call 
her  eldest  son,  a  lad  about  six  years  old,  who  had  become  very 
fond  of  playing  in  a  creek  that  ran  near  their  dwelling,  when 
she  heard  him  cry  for  help.  On  running  to  the  creek,  where 
it  was  deep  and  the  bank  high,  she  saw  him  in  the  water, 
apparently  drowning.  A  few  feet  up  stream  she  crossed,  and 
ran  to  his  assistance.  Her  screams  of  distress  alarmed  her 
neighbors,  and  particularly  her  husband,  who  was  writing  in 
his  office.  When  he  came  to  the  bank,  six  or  seven  feet  above 
the  water,  and  saw  his  wife  and  child  in  the  deep  below,  he 
immediately  jumped  in  to  their  assistance ;  but,  being  no 
swimmer,  they  were  all  three  immersed  together  in  a  hole  in 
the  water,  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide  and  ten  feet  deep. 

I  think  it  is  most  likely  my  dear  sister  sunk  soon  after 


getting  into  the  deep  water,  never  to  rise  alive,  for  she  was 
within  a  month  or  two  of  her  confinement.  Her  husband  and 
child  struggled  longer,  but  were  nearly  gone,  when  a  young 
man,  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  saved  the  child ;  and  the  dying 
father,  as  he  was  sinking  for  the  last  time,  laid  hold  of  a  board 
that  had  been  run  into  the  water  by  a  colored  man,  and  by 
which  he  was  drawn  to  the  shore,  nearly  dead,  and  was  with 
some  difficulty  brought  to. 

My  poor  dear  sister's  lifeless  corpse  was  at  last  brought 
from  the  bottom  of  the  deep  hole,  by  the  manly  exertions  of 
a  sailor,  but  every  attempt  at  resuscitation  was  in  vain.  Such 
was  the  tragical  end  of  my  dear  sister  Eliza  Violetta  Kennedy, 
in  the  fortieth  year  of  her  age. 

At  this  sorrowful  and  affecting  time  I  was  sitting  in  a 
religious  meeting,  appointed  for  me  at  five  o'clock  in  Rah  way, 
between  forty  and  fifty  miles  off  in  New  Jersey.  I  dare  not  say  I 
had  an  impression  that  something  sorrowful  had  happened  to  me, 
but  I  think  I  recollect  it  was  nearly  a  silent  meeting,  and  I 
told  the  people  that,  for  some  reason  or  other,  I  had  but  little 
to  communicate  to  them.  And  I  very  well  remember  that  the 
friend  from  New  York,  that  was  with  me,  took  me  by  the 
hand  after  the  meeting  broke,  and  said  most  emphatically, 
whilst  his  eyes  were  overflowing  with  tears,  "  Edward,  what 
is  the  matter  ?"  And  I  think  that  my  prospect  changed  in 
that  meeting,  and  instead  of  visiting  a  number  of  meetings  in 
New  Jersey,  I  concluded  to  come  immediately  home,  and  had 
I  not  been  improperly  detained  at  Kingston,  I  should  have  got 
to  my  dear  sister's  funeral. 

There  are  two  considerations  connected  with  her  sudden  and 
afflicting  death  that  are  relieving,  and  they  are  :  a  hope  that 
she  was  looking  towards  Heaven,  and  that  she  died  in  the 
highest  exercise  of  the  finest  feelings  of  her  nature. 

Another  pleasant  reflection  to  me  is,  that  the  last  interview 
we  ever  had  was  one  of  the  most  agreeable  kind.  I  recollect 
she  made  some  pertinent  remarks  respecting  our  having  to 
give  an  account  to  an  Omnipotent  Saviour,  who  is  Judge  of 
quick  and  dead,  for  every  idle  word  that  we  spoke.  But, 
alas  !  different,  very  different  was  the  last  interview  between 
her  and  our  poor  dear  father.  Hence  the  shock  of  her  sudden 
and  affecting  death  must  have  been  of  the  most  painful  cha- 
racter. 


28 

Before  T  leave  my  dear  father,  I  will  just  advert  again  to 
Lis  strong  predilection  in  favor  of  scholastic  education.  In 
order  to  introduce  my  views  more  fully  touching  that  subject, 
especially  as  it  relates  to  the  Church  of  Christ,  I  shall  refer  to 
a  paper,  now  in  my  possession,  that  was  presented  to  our 
monthly  meeting,  most  cordially  united  with,  and  recorded 
amongst  its  minutes,  viz  :  ''  The  committee  appointed  at  last 
meeting  to  take  into  consideration  the  communication  from 
the  Yearly  Meeting's  committee,  on  the  subject  of  schools, 
having  met  and  conferred  together,  were  united  in  believing 
that  such  information  as  was  needful  had  already  been  for- 
warded to  that  committee  in  answer  to  their  several  interroga- 
tories ;  and,  if  anything  remained  for  the  meeting  to  do,  it  was 
simply  to  give  their  views  touching  the  important  subject,  for 
which  that  committee  was  appointed.  Therefore,  we  are  united 
in  offering  the  following  for  the  consideration  and  unity  of  the 
monthly  meeting :  *  When  it  pleased  the  infinitely  wise  Je- 
hovah to  manifest  himself  in  the  fulness,  and  present  to  a 
world  of  intelligent  beings,  a  perfect  pattern  of  everlasting 
righteousness  in  the  person  of  his  beloved  son  Jesus  Christ ; 
that  blessed  pattern  was  found  walking  in  the  path  of  humble 
industry/,  showing  with  indubitable  clearness  it  was  the  only 
way  to  rational  happiness  in  this  world,  and  everlasting  happi- 
ness in  the  world  to  come/ 

And  it  is  worthy  of  our  most  serious  consideration  and 
attention,  that  this  great  personage  received  no  learning  in 
the  congregated  seminaries  of  that  day,  although  they  were  as 
common  amongst  the  apostate  Israelites  as  they  are  now 
amongst  apostate  Christians.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  testi- 
mony of  the  neighbors  that  knew  him.  '  From  whence  hath 
this  man  these  things,  or  how  knoweth  he  letters,  having  never 
learned  ?' 

Before  finishing  the  work  his  Heavenly  Father  gave  him  to 
do,  he  chose  his  immediate  disciples  from  amongst  the  illiterate 
fishermen  of  Galilee,  humble  industrious  men,  who  had  no 
scholastic  learning  to  depend  upon.  But  while  they  had  a 
single  eye  to  their  perfect  pattern,  keeping  his  commandments 
and  loving  him,  he  manifested  himself  to  them,  agreeable  to 
his  blessed  promises,  teaching  them  all  things,  and  bringing 
all  things  needful  to  their  remembrance ;  thus  qualifying  them 
to  speak  to  the  visited  seed  in  a  language  they  understood, 


gathering  them  into  the  true  fold  where  Christ,  their  heavenly 
Shepherd,  fed  them  and  caused  them  to  rest  at  noon. 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  redemption  of  man,  the  most  g\o- 
rious  work  of  the  Almigeity",  was  brought  about  without  the 
agency  of  schohistic  learning,  its  most  dignified  instrument  not 
being  permitted  to  have  it. 

This  view  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact,  that  in  none  of 
his  communications  or  sermons,  or  the  exhortations  or  epistles 
of  his  immediate  disciples,  was  human  or  scholastic  learning 
ever  recommended.  This,  we  say,  presents  to  our  minds  irre- 
sistible and  overwhelming  evidence  against  it,  especially  in  its 
modern  spirit,  as  advocated  by  a  proud  aspiring  but  fallen 
world.  And,  moreover,  it  appears  clear  to  us  that  such  scho- 
lastic learning  was  one  of  the  principal  agents  of  anti-Christ, 
by  which  he  drew  the  successors  of  those  sons  of  the  morning 
from  the  simplicity  of  the  truth  as  it  was  in  Jesus,  as  he  did 
the  third  part  (ri  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  cast  them  to  the  earth. 

For,  as  early  as  the  fii-st  and  second  centuries,  congregated 
seminaries,  or  boarding  schools,  were  set  up,  and  the  x\lexan- 
driau  was  so  particularly  distinguished  for  its  j^opularity  and 
power,  as  to  become  the  principal  source  of  that  pride  and 
ambition,  which  characterize  an  aspiring  priesthood :  furnishing 
that  very  learning  that  constitutes  the  lever  of  their  power, 
and  enables  them  more  effectually  to  lord  it  over  the  heritaye. 
And  hence  it  was  that  a  dark  night  of  apostacy,  or  mantle  of 
substantial  blackness,  eclipsed  the  glory  of  the  militant  church. 
In  vain  was  raised  the  feeble  voice  of  a  Vv'^ickliff,  a  Huss,  a 
Luther,  or  a  Calvin ;  for,  although  they  were  instruments  in 
the  reformation,  they  too  much  depended  upon  the  arm  of 
flesh,  scholastic  learning,  and  such  qualifications  as  were  re- 
ceived in  the  Egyptian  court,  to  be  an3'thing  more  than  voices 
crying  in  the  wilderness,  or  enlightened  men  like  Moses, 
beholding  afar  off  that  land  of  rest  and  Christian  liberty  pre- 
pared for  the  people  of  God. 

When  the  people  called  Quakers  were  gathered,  the  instru- 
ment that  was  made  use  of  was  a  poor  unlearned  shoemaker 
and  shepherd,  the  son  of  a  weaver.  He  was  found  like  his 
divine  Master,  walking  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  and 
like  the  illiterate  fisherman  of  Galilee,  he  was  qualified  by 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  preach  the  everlasting 
Gospel;  calling  the  visited  children  away  from  the  Lo-heres 

3* 


30 

and  the  Lo-tlicres,  to  tlie  kingdom  of  God  within  them,  to  an 
omnipresent  Saviour,  a  Christ  within,  the  hope  of  glory,  de- 
chiring  that  as  '  Christ  had  come  to  teach  his  people  himself,' 
thej  had  no  need  that  any  man  should  teach  them,  save  that 
holy  anointing  that  teacheth  truth. 

Here  was  received  the  primitive  Christian  testimony  against 
scholastic  divinity,  or  man  made  ministers,  and  consequently 
against  the  schools  that  made  them.  Hence  our  early  friends 
were  led  in  the  liberty  and  power  of  truth,  to  bear  a  faithful 
testimony  against  all  such  schools.*  And  when  forming  their 
discipline  in  relation  to  school  learning,  they  only  recognized 
as  necessary  the  simple  rudiments  of  an  English  education 
sufficient  to  fit  them  for  business,  leaving  the  study  of  what 
some  might  consider  useful  science,  to  the  liberty  individuals 
might  feel  in  the  truth,  to  pursue  it  by  self-improvement. 
Further  than  this  they  considered  supei-fluous,  and  conse- 
quently had  a  testimony  to  bear  against  it,  and  while  they 
continued  faithful  to  their  'plain  way  of  living,  and  their 
plain  'honest'  way  of  preaching,'  they  so  shook  the  foundation 
of  the  church  of  anti-Christ,  that  the  priests  were  ready  to  flee 
from  their  falling  shrine,  and  bloody  warriors  to  sheathe  the 
sword  for  ever. 

Then  there  were  to  be  found  walking  in  the  path  of  hiimhle 
industri/,  conscientious  schoolmasters,  blacksmiths,  weavers, 
farmers,  masons,  tailors,  shoemakers,  carpenters,  and  broom- 
makers;  such  men  as  Samuel  Bownas,  John  Richardson,  John 
Woolman,  James  Simpson,  John  Churchman,  and  Elias  Hicks, 
and  many  others  that  might  be  mentioned,  who  were  fre- 
quently engaged  or  employed  in  giving  Friends'  children  suffi- 
cient learning  to  fit  them  for  business;  whose  example  as  well 
as  precept  turned  many  to  righteousness,  and  who,  no  doubt, 
will  shine  forth  in  the  brightness  of  the  firmament  as  stars  for 
ever  and  ever.  ^  But  the  fathers,  ichere  are  they?  and  the  ^iro- 
phets,  do  they  live  for  ecer?^  where  are  the  bright  talented 
youth  of  this  day,  the  interesting  children  of  Friends  to  be 
found?  We  fear  not  all  walking  in  the  path  of  humhie  in- 
dustry as  Christians  under  the  care  of  pious  parents  and  guar- 
dians, but  too  often  at  colleges  and  popular  boarding  schools, 
preparing   to   be   lawyers,   doctors,  office-hunters,  and   office^ 

*  By  the  context  it  appears  that  the  author  had  more  particularly 
in  view  theological  schools. 


81 

holders ;  speculators  hi  bank,  bridge,  steamboat,  railroad,  and 
canal  stocks;  money  mongers,  land  jobbers,  and  teachers  of 
the  higher  branches  of  fashionable  learning,  such  as  the  dead 
languages,  and  even  painting,  a  link  in  the  chain  of  anti- 
Christian  foibles  next  to  music  and  dancing. 

However  consistent  these  things  may  be  with  the  present 
state  of  enterprising,  aspiring,  restless,  warlike  America,  they 
certainly  form  no  part  of  the  requisite  qualifications  of  his 
followers  who  declared  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world. 
And  as  such  cannot  fight,  they  cannot  consistently  sit  in  legis- 
lative bodies  or  the  councils  of  the  nation ;  or  participate  in 
their  unchristian  enterprizes,  and,  consequently,  need  no  such 
learning  to  fit  them  for  such  business. 

We  want  such  conscientious  men,  as  above  named,  to  teach 
our  country  schools,  and  give  our  dear  children  sufficient 
learning  to  fit  them  for  useful  business,  and  such  as  will  be 
content  with  a  low  salary.  But,  alas !  they  are  scarcely  to  be 
found,  for  the  reason  above  mentioned. 

The  exercise  and  travail  of  Friends  in  their  Yearly  Meeting 
capacity,  as  referred  to  by  the  communication  now  before  us, 
we  cordially  unite  with,  believing  Friends  had  nothing  more 
in  view  until  1779,  than  the  improvement  of  the  rising  youth 
in  virtue,  and  nse/ul  learning,  sufficient  to  fit  them  for  business. 
But  had  the  committee  furnished  us  with  extracts  on  the  sub- 
ject of  education,  from  the  Yearly  Meeting  as  far  in  advance 
as  1810  or  1820,  it  would  have  manifested  a  very  different 
spirit ;  a  spirit  that  however  ingeniously  it  intimates  Jacob's 
voice,  has  proved  that  it  had  Esau's  hairy  hands;  a  travail 
and  concern,  beautiful  indeed  in  theory,  but  whose  practical 
consequence  has  been  a  serious  injury  to  society,  producing 
those  Ia7'f/e  hoarding  schools,  the  too  fruitful  source  of  pride 
and  idleness,  and  the  nursery  of  that-  spirit  that  made  such 
devastation  among  the  flock  and  family  of  God  in  the  primitive 
church  ;  and  of  latter  times  has  got  into  the  Society  of  Friends 
like  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,  and  its  effects  are  rending, 
devouring,  and  scattering  the  sheep  on  the  barren  mountains 
of  an  empty  profession.  For  it  appears  clear  to  us,  that  ever 
since  the  institution  of  Ackworth  Boarding  School,  in  Eng- 
land, Friends  have  been  rapidly  declining  from  their  first 
principles  and  practices  in  that  nation.  Ever  since  the  setting 
up  of  West  Town  Boarding  School,  in  Pennsylvania,  such 


Ok) 

scliools  as  are  recognized  by  our  discipline  liave  been  neglected 
and  are  falling  into  decay,  while  the  learning  and  wisdom  of 
this  world,  which  cherish  pride  and  religious  consequence,  have 
divided  in  Jacob  and  scattered  in  Israel,  to  the  everlasting 
disgrace  and  injury  of  many,  causing  the  Lord's  humble  feith- 
ful  servants  secretly  to  cry  in  the  mournful  language  of  the 
prophet :  'By  whom  shall  Jacob  arise,  for  he  is  small,' 

Notwithstanding  we  are  so  fully  convinced  that  large  board- 
ing scliools,  or  congregated  seminaries,  have  always  been  in- 
imical to  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  we  are  not  prepared  to 
discourage  such  conscientious  Friends  as  feel  a  freedom  in  the 
truth,  to  open  schools  in  their  own  houses,  not  only  for  the 
accommodation  of  such  members  as  may  live  at  too  gi-eat  a 
distance,  to  attend  our  proj^er  schools,  but  such  children  as 
are  not  members ;  thus  making  them  little  nurseries  for  the 
principles  of  truth,  as  professed  by  Friends. 

But,  in  conclusion,  we  are  prepared  solemnly  and  seriously 
to  declare  that  we  fully  believe  that  our  society  will  never  arise 
and  shake  itself  from  the  dust  of  the  earth  and  put  on  her 
beautiful  primitive  garments,  never  can  have  judges  as  at  the 
first,  and  counsellors  as  at  the  beginning,  until  ministers,  elders, 
overseers,  and  all  religiously  concerned  Friends  who  stand  in 
the  responsible  stations  of  parents,  guardians,  and  heads  of 
families  become  more  truly  humble  themselves,  and  evince 
their  humility  by  being  content  Avith  useful  learning,  sufficient 
to  fit  their  children  for  such  business  as  will  furnish  them  with 
food  and  raiment  to  make  them  comfortable  and  decent.  For 
while  Friends  take  the  liberty  to  run  open-mouthed  after  the 
world  in  pursuit  of  superfluous  wealth,  their  children  must  be 
like  the  world's  j)eoj)le,  liuviug  superfluous  learning.  Hence 
they  must  be  sent  to  West  Tovvu,  Princeton,  or  llaverford, 
where  they  can  get  the  greatest  education  for  the  least  money. 
Thus  parents,  for  the  sake  of  ease,  popularity  and  gain,  leave 
their  children  as  the  ostrich  leaveth  her  eggs  in  the  earth,  to 
be  hatched  by  the  beams  of  the  sun,  and  forgetteth  that  the 
foot  of  the  passenger  may  crush  them^  or  the  wild  beast  may 
break  them. 

What  will  be  the  awful  predicament  of  such  parents  and  heads 
of  families,  when  this  query  is  put  to  them  by  the  great  Judge 
of  f|uick  and  dead :  'What  hast  thou  done  with  those  lambs 
I  placed  under  thy  care  in  the  wilderness  of  the  world  V 


33 

Finally,  dear  friends,  may  we  all  be  concerned  to  return  to 
our  first  principles  and  practices,  and  to  brinir  up  the  rising 
youth  under  our  care,  after  the  example  of  Him,  who  appear- 
ed amongst  the  children  of  men,  in  the  character  of  the  hum- 
hie  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  that  blessed  pattern  who  was  found 
walking  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  a  path  which  will 
not  only  lead  to  the  enjoyment  of  rational  happiness  in  this 
world,  but  to  glory,  honor,  immortality  and  eternal  life,  in  that 
world  that  is  without  end. — Amen." 

I  will  now  only  add  to  the  above  remarks  what  I  verily  be- 
lieve, and  which  has  been  renewedly  confirmed  by  observation 
and  experience  in  the  last  ten  years  of  my  life,  that  three 
great  and  powerful  enemies,  Pride,  Idleness  and  Dishonesty, 
are  la^nng  the  axe  at  the  root  of  the  tree  of  Liberty,  and  the 
tree  of  Life,  and  nothing  will  save  the  Church  and  State,  but 
walking  in  the  path  of  humbly  industry',  for  humility  will 
make  our  wants  few,  and  industry  will  more  than  supply 
them. 

Let,  then,  those  who  stand  as  the  leaders  of  the  people,  no 
longer  cause  them  to  err — no  longer  destroy  the  way  of  their 
paths  by  selfishness,  but  return,  like  the  master  spirits  of 
Greece  and  Rome,  to  the  plough-tail,  or  path  of  humble  indus- 
try. And  let  all  ministers  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
follow  the  example  set  before  them  in  the  holy  mount ;  then, 
like  the  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  and  fishermen  of  Galilee, 
they  will  be  found  at  the  work-bench,  or  the  mending  of  nets. 
Then  they  can  appeal,  like  the  exemplary  and  heavenly  mind- 
ed Pall,  to  the  elders  of  their  respective  meetings,  saying, 
^'We  have  coveted  no  man's  silver  or  gold,  or  apparel:  yea, 
3'e  yourselves  know  that  these  hands  have  ministered  to  our 
necessities,  and  to  them  that  were  with  us;"  that  we  have 
taught  you  both  by  precept  and  example  what  we  have  re- 
ceived from  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  "it  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive." 

I  return  again  to  my  dear  father,  whose  disappointment  in 
his  son's  not  being  sufficiently  learned  for  the  law,  induced 
him  to  bind  me  at  the  age  of  thirteen  to  a  coachmaker,  for 
seven  years.  But  his  attachment  to  scholastic  education  was 
embraced  in  the  indenture  that  I  should  have  one  year's 
gchooling. 

Iji  the  Fourth  month,  1793,  I  left  my  dear  old  adopted 


S4 

^otlier  in  tears,  and  went  to  live  witli  William  and  Racliael 
Tomlinson,  at  Four-lanes-end^  now  Attleborongh. 

Tliey  were  young  married  people,  comfortably  established  in 
tlie  coach  making  business.  William  was  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  Henry  Tomlinson,  a  man  I  very  much  loved. 

My  master  was  an  example  of  humble  industry  worthy  to  be 
imitated.  He  led  his  hands  to  work  and  to  meals,  and  only 
asked  them  to  follov^  his  example.  Indeed  I  do  not  know 
that  I  ever  saw  him  idle  whilst  he  had  a  shop  and  business. 

But  the  change  was  very  great  for  a  poor  little  weak  boy, 
who  was  brought  up  thus  far  as  a  gentleman's  son,  to  sit  at 
the  table  as  a  boarder  as  long  as  he  pleased,  and  had  only  to 
ask  for  what  he  wanted,  to  get  it.  Then  to  sit  down  quickly 
and  eat  such  as  was  set  before  him,  asking  no  questions,  with. 
a  voracious  set  of  men  and  boys,  who  seemed  to  eat  for  their 
lives,  and  rise  with  the  master,  was  hard,  and  to  go  to  work 
was  still  harder.  And,  as  too  often  is  the  case  at  such  estab- 
lishments, both  men  and  boys  gave  way  to  a  kind  of  low  slang 
and  vulgarity  of  conversation  and  conduct,  which  came  directly 
in  contact  with  my  respectacle  religious  education,  and  I,  of 
course,  become  the  butt  of  their  insignificant  wit.  But  the 
tenderness  of  my  religious  impressions  too  soon  wore  oiF,  and, 
instead  of  weeping  and  praying,  I  soon  got  to  laughing  and 
swearing ;  and  having  what  may  be  truly  called  a  natural  fund 
of  nonsense,  I  soon  became  a  kind  of  favorite  with  my  shop- 
mates. 

In  less  than  six  months  (I  think)  after  I  went  to  the  trade, 
the  establishment  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  we  were  thrown 
out  of  the  coachmaking  business;  and  the  tavern  next  door 
to  where  my  master  lived  being  vacant  by  the  absconding  of 
the  landlord,  he  moved  into  it  and  continued  there,  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  till  the  spring  of  1795,  when  our  shops  were  all  com- 
pleted, and  we  moved  into  a  house  adjoining  them. 

While  at  the  tavern  I  served  in  the  capacity  of  lackey,  shoe- 
black, hostler,  and  bar-tender;  too  often  exposed  to  the  worst 
of  coujpany,  to  see  that  kind  of  conduct  that  debases  rational 
beings  below  brutality,  and  blots  out  of  their  very  nature  all 
that  is  good  and  beautiful.  And  what  increased  the  evil,  it 
was  the  time  of  what  is  called  the  Western  expedition,  when 
there  was  a  greiit  deal  of  military  parade  and  excitement.  But 
in  the  midst  of  all  this  exposure  the  heavenly  Shepherd,  under 


i}0 

whoso  care  a  dying  mother  had  loft  mc,  extended  the  crook  of 
llis  love,  and  preserved  me  from  gross  evils,  awakening  at 
times  serious  impressions,  particularly  at  the  death  of  my  mis- 
tress's first  born  child,  a  dear  little  girl  that  I  had  attended 
much,  and  for  whom  I  felt  a  strong  attachment. 

I  very  well  remember  the  tender  sympathy,  sorrow,  and  love 
I  felt  on  the  occasion,  especially  for  my  mistress,  who  appeared 
to  be  very  solemnly  and  seriously  impressed.  Our  feelings 
being  similar,  it  caused  a  spiritual  attachment  or  love,  that  has 
continued  down  to  the  present  day,  and  I  hope  will  extend 
beyond  the  confines  of  time  into  a  never  ending  eternity.  I 
think  that  my  mistress  was  qualified  to  be  such  a  woman  as  is 
described  in  the  last  chapter  of  Proverbs. 

Although  I  was  removed  from  the  tavern  when  about  fifteen, 
and  employed  steadily  in  the  coachmaking  business,  I  was  un- 
fortunately introduced  to  those  places  of  diversion  called  cutting 
apple  frolics,  spinning  frolics,  raffling  matches,  and  indeed  all 
kind  of  low  convivial  parties,  so  peculiarly  calculated  to  nourish 
the  seeds  of  vanity  and  lies.  Thus  the  garden  of  ray  heart  was 
too  soon  overrun  with  those  noxious  weeds — licentiousness,  in- 
temperance, angry  passions,  and  devilishness,  which  obstruct  the 
growth  of  those  precious  plants  of  the  Heavenly  Father's  right 
hand  planting :  virtue,  knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  and 
godlines.-'.  Hence  it  was  I  entered  the  wide  gate,  and  was 
travelling  in  the  broad  way  that  leads  to  destruction.  But, 
oh !  precious  Saviour,  thou  didst  not  forsake  thy  lost  sheep,  but 
left,  as  it  were,  the  ninety  and  nine,  and  went  after  one  that  was 
astray.  And  I  cannot  express  the  gratitude,  thanksgiving,  and 
praise  I  often  feel  to  my  beloved  Saviour  for  His  mercy  and 
goodness  to  one  of  the  least  of  his  flock,  for  I  was  now  from 
under  the  care  of  my  dear  adopted  mother,  and  left  by  my 
father,  as  the  ostrich  leaveth  her  eggs ;  and  my  master  never 
queried  whither  goest  thou,  bu(  I  was  left  to  run  all  hours  of  the 
night,  the  door  being  open. 

This  appears  to  me  to  have  been  the  most  critical  period  of  my 
life,  when  growing  up  from  a  boy  to  a  man,  and  forming  the 
channel  in  which  life  was  to  run,  if  not  determining  its  ever- 
lasting issue. 

And  what  increased  the  tremendous  danger  of  a  poor  weak 
youth,  was  the  free  use  of  spirituous  liquors;  for  it  was  then 
the  ridiculous  custom  of  those  who  got  new  carriages  to  treat 


36 

the  hands  with  liquor,  sometimes  three  or  four  gallons ;  and, 
during  my  seven  years'  apprenticeship,  I  do  not  know  lliat  there 
was  a  day  when  there  was  not  more  or  less  liquor  about ;  but 
although  I  used  it  freely  with  my  shopmates,  through  mercy  I 
was  preserved  from  forming  the  distressing  artificial  appetite  of 
the  habitual  drunkard;  for  it  appears  that  intemperance  was 
not  my  besetting  sin,  and,  therefore,  I  claim  but  little  merit 
for  my  temperate  habits;  though  I  may  say,  what  too  few  can 
say,  that  I  have  used  no  spirituous  liquors  as  a  drink  in  private, 
in  company,  or  in  business  for  near  forty  years,  and  but  very 
seldom  as  a  medicine. 

But  licentious  lewdness  was  much  more  a  besetting  sin,  and 
my  preservation  from  ruin  in  this  way  appears  to  me  as  a  miracle, 
for  I  certainly  indulged  in  licentious  thoughts  till  their  corrupt- 
ing tendency  led  to  what  was  still  worse,  lewd  conversation ; 
and  had  I  broken  through  the  barriers  of  virtue,  I  have  reason 
to  believe,  from  the  strength  of  my  passion  and  the  weakness 
of  my  resolution,  I  should  have  plunged  into  that  vortex  of  dis- 
sipation that  might  have  sealed  my  eternal  ruin.  But,  oh  ! 
heavenly  Shepherd,  who  sleepest  not  by  day  nor  slumbereth  by 
night,  it  was  thy  preserving  power  that  saved  me  from  this  pit 
of  pollution,  to  sing  thy  praises  on  the  banks  of  deliverance.  I 
am,  therefore,  not  ashamed  to  meet  any  woman  in  this  world, 
or  in  the  world  to  come. 

On  this  subject  I  would  wish  to  say  more,  but  am  at  a  loss 
to  find  language  sufiiciently  chaste  and  suflaciently  forcible  ade- 
quately to  set  forth  what  I  feel.  Sufiice  it  to  say  I  was  intro- 
duced by  lechers  and  debauchees  into  the  worst  of  company  and 
the  worst  of  places,  both  in  city  and  country.  And  what  added 
to  the  danger  of  my  being  entirely  lost  to  every  tender  Christian 
feeling,  I  had  become  a  military  enthusiast  by  reading  the  his- 
tory of  the  warrior  with  his  ''  garments  rolled  in  blood." 

Although  I  had  scarcely  reached  my  eighteenth  year,  the 
sound  of  war  being  heard  in  our  land,  I  enrolled  myself  as  a 
soldier,  delighted  with  the  martial  music,  and  the  feathered 
foppery  of  the  regimentaled  dandy. 

Had  I  at  this  time  obtained  a  commission  in  the  army,  I 
might  have  followed  my  companions  to  an  untimely  grave. 

But  in  the  midst  of  all  this  sanguine  cheer,  and  streamers 
gay,  when  I  had  cut  my  cable  and  launched  into  the  world,  my 
Saviour  did  not  forsake  me,  for  I  was  not  a  reprobate^  therefore 


he  was  still  in  me,  and  had  only  retired  as  it  were  to  the  hinder 
part  of  my  little  ship,  and  was  apparently  asleep.  For  when 
about  the  twentieth  year  of  my  age  a  terrible  storm  of  sickness 
overtook  me  whilst  on  a  frolic  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and 
when  my  poor  frail  bark  was  sinking  beneath  the  waves,  I 
awoke  my  Saviour  by  my  cries,  and  he  arose  and  rebuked  the 
direful  disease  that  was  ready  to  overwhelm  my  life,  and  I  was 
again  restored  to  health.  Yet,  notwithstanding  all  my  promises 
to  live  a  better  life,  such  was  my  strong  passion  for  music, 
dancing,  and  singing,  that  I  was  participating  in  all  those  amuse- 
ments before  I  was  able  to  leave  the  city,  and  ride  home.  Poor 
sanguine  young  man.  Peter  like,  I  was  a  swearer  and  a  liar, 
but  I  was  not  yet  ready,  like  Peter,  to  weep  bitterly  for  sin. 

My  seven  years'  apprenticeship  having  expired  when  I  was 
twenty,  I  hired  as  a  journeyman  with  my  old  masters,  Henry 
and  William  Tomlinson,  and  continued  with  them  about  four 
months,  when  I  set  up  coach  and  house  painting  for  myself  in 
the  place  of  my  birth  and  apprenticeship ;  but  such  was  my 
want  of  stability  and  almost  every  other  qualification  to  fit  me 
for  business,  that  I  am  much  astonished  that  I  should  have 
been  employed.  Yet  I  was  employed  and  encouraged  by  respect- 
able people,  for  the  character  of  my  family  gave  me  a  standing 
that  I  certainly  did  not  merit;  being  in  my  own  estimation  a 
weak,  wayward  young  man,  susceptible  of  strong  and  tender 
attachments,  especially  to  young  women,  of  whom  I  had  a  num- 
ber of  favorites,  and  was  excessively  fond  of  their  society.  But 
they  know  and  I  know  that  we  were  innocent,  and  I  continue 
to  feel  a  brotherly  affection  for  those  who  are  still  living. 

In  the  fall  of'  1800  I  went  to  work  for  Doctor  Feuton  at 
painting  his  house.  He  was  a  superior  physician,  a  great  me- 
chanical genius,  and  to  me  a  very  agreeable  and  interesting 
man. 

We  soon  agreed  that  when  the  weather  got  too  cold  to  paint, 
I  should  come  and  assist  him  in  making  a  new  fashioned  car- 
riage. In  the  beginning  of  winter  I  went  to  live  with  him,  and 
found  a  very  agreeable  home.  His  wife  was  one  of  those  excel- 
lent women  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures,  "  She  looketh  well  to 
the  ways  of  her  household,  and  eateth  not  the  bread  of  idleness." 
They  had  but  one  child,  who  was  an  interesting  little  girl  ten 
or  twelve  years  old.  They  were  Presbyterians,  but  not  sour 
Calvinists,  and  I  went  with  them  to  their  meeting. 

4 


"38  J 

1 

One  day  the  Doctor  proposed  to  me,  in  his  famib'ar  way,  that       j 
I  had  better  join  their  church.     And  as  an  inducement,  ob-       ] 
served  that  he  would  then  use  his  influence  in  my  forming  an       ] 
advantageous  marriage  with  a  very  rich  and  respectable  elder's 
daughter,  who  was  an  heiress,  independent  of  her  father.    Whe- 
ther he  was  in  earnest  or  not  1  must  leave. 

I  think  I  told  him  that  I  had  no  idea  that  I  would  ever  be 
worthy  to  join  any  religious  society,  but  if  I  should  thiuk  my- 
self fit,  I  should  join  the  Quakers.  He  expressed  his  astonish- 
ment that  a  young  man  of  my  turn  would  think  of  joining  so 
simple  and  lifeless  a  people,  and  if  it  ever  took  place  he  should 
think  that  miracles  had  not  ceased ;  making  some  further  remarks 
unfavorable  to  Friends,  which  produced  excitement  and  brought 
on  considerable  argument,  ending,  in  all  probability  as  such 
arguments  mostly  do,  in  both  of  us  thinking  we  were  right. 

About  a  year  before  this  contest  with  the  Doctor,  I  had 
become  acquainted,  at  a  debating  society  in  Attleborough, 
with  John  Comly  and  James  Walton,  young  Friends  from 
Byberry.  John  was  considered  a  great  scholar  and  a  great 
speaker,  and  appeared  to  me  a  very  plain,  exemplary,  and  re- 
ligious young  man.  James  appeared  equally  exemplary,  but, 
like  myself,  had  no  talent  for  public  speaking.  He  was  calcu- 
lated for  one  of  those  excellent  men,  who  are  as  sinews  to  the 
state,  and  pillars  in  the  church,  whose  judgment  and  goodness 
of  heart  are  more  fruitful  than  their  tongues. 

These  young  men  I  have  always  thought  were  of  great 
advantage  to  me ;  and  making  use  of  their  sentiments  and  views, 
I  think  i  was  rather  an  over-match  for  the  Doctor  in  arguments 
about  religion. 

I  was  now  approaching  my  twenty-first  year,  and  had  left 
the  volunteer  company  I  belonged  to,  and  was  in  fact  under 
the  preparing  hand  for  a  change.  I  had  often  serious  and  even 
sorrowful  thoughts,  when  alone,  and  was  disgusted  with  my- 
self and  all  my  conduct,  though  I  could  not  find  that  I  had 
ever  done  an  act  which,  if  published  before  an  earthly  tribunal, 
would  leave  a  stain  on  my  moral  character  in  the  sight  of  men. 
But  I  continued  exceedingly  fond  of  singing,  dancing,  vain 
amusements,  and  the  company  of  young  people,  and  tocf  often 
profanely  swearing  when  angry  or  excited,  although  my  asso- 
ciates were  more  respectable  than  formerly. 

In  the  latter  part  of  winter  I  went  to  Philadelphia  on  horse- 


ay 

back,  and  returned  througli  a  snow-storm  in  company  with  a 
young  friend  who  has  since  sat  by  my  side  in  meeting  for 
more  than  twenty  years  in  the  station  of  an  elder.  I  believe 
the  young  man  was  almost  ashamed  of  his  company,  for  I  sung 
all  the  way  home,  besides  stopping  at  several  taverns  to  drink. 
Being  wet,  weary,  and  hungry,  I  eat  a  hearty  supper  and  went 
early  to  bed.  About  midnight  I  was  awakened  with  the  same 
alarming  symptoms  I  was  attacked  with  a  year  before  in  the 
city,  when  I  was  only  saved  from  death  by  a  miracle.  The 
thoughts  of  the  promises  I  then  made  and  broke,  and  inex- 
pressible pain  and  distress  produced  a  horror  which  I  cannot 
describe.  My  friend  the  Doctor  gave  my  body  relief,  but  my 
mind  was  too  solemnly  impressed  to  be  cured  by  any  thing 
but  a  heavenly  physician.  From  this  time  my  appearance  was 
somewhat  changed  from  a  sanguine  to  a  melancholy  cast,  and 
my  friend  the  doctor  told  me  that  my  frequently  sighing  was 
indicative  of  the  approach  of  a  serious  disease,  either  of  body 
or  mind,  and  would  sometimes  exercise  his  wit  to  rally  me 
off. 

I  think  I  never  went  but  once  after  this  with  the  family  to 
their  meeting,  and  that  was  by  the  persuasion  of  a  Methodist 
minister,  a  connection,  on  a  visit.  We  went  together  in  a 
chair,  and  sat  in  the  Doctor's  pew.  I  remember  he  joined  with 
the  singing,  but  I  could  sing  no  more  in  meeting.  The  be- 
coming manner  in  which  that  man  talked  to  me,  is  remembered 
with  respect  for  him  to  the  present  day.  His  name  was  David 
Bartine. 

I  was  now  disposed  rather  to  shun  than  to  court  young 
company,  and  spent  my  First  days  in  rambling  about  by  my- 
self in  solitary  places. 

In  one  of  these  excursions  I  found  myself  within  reach  of 
Friends'  meeting  at  Middletown,  and  went  to  it,  and  though 
I  had  often  been  there,  I  do  not  recollect  that  I  had  been  at 
that  meeting  since  my  serious  turn.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I 
think  I  had  a  precious  meeting,  for  I  continued  to  walk  five 
miles  to  that  meeting  every  First  day,  while  I  lived  with 
Doctor  Fenton  in  Northampton. 

About  this  time  I  was  solicited  to  join  a  respectable  young 
friend  in  carrying  on  the  coach-making  business  in  Milford, 
six  or  seven  miles  from  where  I  then  lived,  and  I  went  there 
to  see  the  place,  and  make  some  arrangement.    I  mention  this 


40 

to  show  the  state  of  my  mind.  I  think  I  wept  nearly  all  the 
way  there,  and  yet  when  introduced  into  the  company  of  some 
very  respectable  young  friends,  who  asked  me  to  sing,  I  sung 
for  them  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  and  then  went  weeping 
home  next  day.  It  was  astonishing  that  in  company  I  could 
not  refrain  from  my  wonted  cheerfulness  and  vivacity,  when 
by  myself  I  was  so  serious  as  to  weep  and  pray. 

Soon  after  this  I  went  to  the  city  on  some  business,  and 
met  one  of  my  old  companions,  who  appeared  to  be  pleased  to 
see  me,  and  told  me  that  a  mutual  friend,  who  played  well  on 
the  violin,  had  got  a  new  one,  which  he  played  admirably.  I 
went  with  him  with  some  reluctance,  but  the  delightful  music 
soon  raised  my  natural  vivacity ;  and  I  attempted,  in  company 
with  two  partners,  to  go  through  with  a  country  dance.  Whe- 
ther I  went  through  or  not  I  almost  forget,  but  I  know  that 
this  was  the  last  time  I  ever  danced.  Leaving  this  place  and 
passing  down  the  street  with  a  heavy  heart,  I  was  overtaken 
by  one  of  my  juvenile  companions,  and  an  old  fellow  soldier^ 
a  young  man  of  superior  talents  but  of  profligate  character. 
He  was  pleased  to  see  me,  and  began  to  talk  in  his  usual  way, 
but  soon  felt  or  saw  that  something  ailed  me,  for  I  was  dif- 
ferent from  what  I  used  to  be,  and  he  left  me.  After  my 
return  home  I  quit  singing,  and  was  brought  into  a  strait 
about  using  the  plural  language,  and  foimd  a  difficulty  in 
adopting  the  plain  thee  and  thou.  As  to  dress  I  had  no  trouble, 
for  I  always  admired  a  plain  dress  for  either  man  or  woman. 

I  have  often  thought  I  should  have  got  along  better  had  I 
continued  to  live  with  the  Presbyterians,  for  then  I  should 
have  kept  more  to  myself,  and  been  with  Friends  at  their 
meetings,  and  only  occasionally  at  their  houses.  But  living 
altogether  amongst  respectable,  political,  worldly-minded  Qua- 
kers, and,  above  all,  being  treated  by  them  with  kindness  and 
attention,  was  certainly  too  much  for  such  a  poor,  weak,  trifling 
young  man  as  I  was,  and  I  think  proved  a  serious  disad- 
vantage to  my  spiritual  state. 

On  the  27th  of  the  8th  month,  1801,  I  went  to  Milford  to 
live,  and  to  assist  Joshua  C.  Canby,  in  the  coach-making  busi- 
ness, making  my  home  with  Samuel  Hulme,  one  of  those 
excellent  men,  who  are  a  blessing  to  the  neighborhood  where 
their  lot  is  cast,  and  an  honor  to  the  society  to  which  they 
belong;  a  man  whose  cheerfulness  and  patience  under  the 


41 

heaviest  afflictions,  I  never  saw  exceeded.  I  owe  much  to  that 
dear  friend  for  his  many  acts  of  brotherly  kindnoss  towards 
me,  when  a  poor,  weak,  unworthy  young  man.  This  debt  I 
have  tried  to  discharge  by  endeavoring  to  do  to  others  that 
which  he  did  unto  me. 

John  Hulme,  the  father  of  the  foregoing  and  patriarch  of 
the  place,  was  a  remarkable  man.  He  had  never  gone  six 
months  to  school,  and  had  to  support  his  parents,  being  very 
poor;  yet  he  arose  through  the  path  of  humble  industry,  to  be 
one  of  the  most  useful  and  respectable  men,  in  a  civil  point  of 
view,  in  the  county  of  Bucks ;  and  one  of  the  brightest  stars 
that  ever  shone  in  the  State  legislature,  since  the  days  of 
William  Penn.  Soon  after  I  went  to  live  in  the  family,  he 
appeared  to  be  in  a  decline.  I  remember  going  into  his  room 
to  see  him,  when  he  spoke  to  me  in  the  most  feeling  and  elo- 
quent manner.  He  adverted  to  the  days  of  his  youth,  when 
he  was  preciously  visited  by  the  light  of  eternal  truth,  saying 
in  a  language  like  this,  ''  Oh  !  had  I  been  obedient  to  the 
Heavenly  vision,  I  would  have  been  in  a  diiFerent  situation  to 
what  I  now  am.  Let,  therefore,  no  possible  consideration  di- 
vert thee  from  following  the  Saviour  in  humble  obedience." 
Yet  this  excellent  man,  after  recovering  his  health  and  being 
elected  to  the  Legislature,  was,  I  fear,  a  victim  to  popularity, 
and  nearly  lost  among  the  rocks  and  shoals  of  skepticism  and 
intemperance.  He  had  four  other  sons  besides  the  one  before 
mentioned,  and  it  is  worthy  of  particular  notice  that  George, 
who,  like  his  father,  had  the  least  scholastic  education,  and 
walked  the  most  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  turned  out 
the  most  valuable  man,  whilst  the  youngest  son,  who  had  the 
greatest  talents,  the  greatest  scholastic  education,  and  was  least 
in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  turned  out  the  poorest.  He 
was  my  favorite — the  confidential  companion  of  my  honorable, 
youthful  proceedings  in  marriage,  and  one  that  I  loved  as 
dearly  as  a  brother.  Like  his  father,  he  was  preciously  visit- 
ed with  the  day-spring  from  on  high.  How  often  have  I  seen 
the  tear  of  tenderness  and  contrition  trickle  down  his  cheek. 
He  certainly  was  designed  to  be  greatly  good,  yet  with  all 
these  advantages,  like  his  father,  he  became  a  victim  to  popu- 
larity, and  at  last  ruined  by  wicked  and  designing  men.  He 
was  arraigned  before  one  of  the  highest  tribunals  of  the  State, 
charged  with  a  crime,  which,  if  true,  though  many  of  his 

4* 


42 

friends,  as  well  as  myself,  never  believed  him  directly  guilty, 
would  have  endangered  his  life,  and  made  him  a  disgrace  to 
his  friends,  and  the  society  to  which  he  belonged.  Although 
acquitted  by  the  court,  he  became  as  an  underling  in  respect- 
able society,  that  the  swineish  nature  pursues  with  devouring 
ruin. 

Ah !  dear  friend  of  my  youth,  I  loved  thee,  for  thou  once 
possessed  every  thing  that  was  lovely,  and  I  am  comforted  in 
the  impression  that  thou  wast  like  the  youngest  son  of  his 
father,  so  beautifully  spoken  of  in  the  inimitable  parable  of 
the  Saviour.  If  thou  didst  spend  the  visitations  of  thy 
youth  in  folly,  thou  couldst  not  satisfy  the  cravings  of  thy 
immortal  spirit,  with  the  spiritless  husks  and  shells  of  empty 
profession,  and  as  no  man  gave  unto  thee,  thou  didst  look  to- 
wards thy  Heavenly  Father's  house.  In  the  depths  of  hu- 
mility he  saw  thee,  when  a  great  way  off,  and  the  darling  at- 
tribute of  mercy  ran  to  meet  thee,  and  fell  upon  thy  neck  and 
kissed  thee,  and  clothed  thy  soul  with  the  best  robe  of  his 
righteousness,  receiving  thee  into  the  Heaven  of  Heavens,  to 
participate  in  the  fruition  of  that  joy  which  is  over  the  sin- 
ner that  repenteth,  the  joy  that  is  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory. 
Farewell,  dear  friend,  on  earth,  but  I  hope  to  meet  thy  glori- 
fied spirit  in  '^  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first 
born,  whose  names  are  written  in  Heaven. '^ 

Dear  young  man,  whoever  thou  art,  that  may  read  this,  I 
want  thee  to  make  use  of  the  precious  visitations  of  thy 
youth,  like  Jacob  did,  to  make  a  covenant  with  that  GoDthat 
will  keep  thee  and  feed  thee,  and  be  a  guardian  angel  to  pre- 
serve thee,  to  a  peaceable  and  happy  conclusion  in  his  ever- 
lasting kingdom. 

Every  young  man  and  young  woman  is  visited  with  the  day- 
spring,  or  the  day-star  from  on  high ;  and  this  visitation  is 
more  or  less  like  the  vision  given  to  the  youthful  patriarch. 
'J 'hey  are  first  humbled  under  a  consideration  of  their  sinful 
state,  and  that  all  sublunary  things  are  at  best  but  the  por- 
tions of  uncertainty,  that  must  shortly  know  their  time  and 
place  no  more.  They  then  feel  longings  after  Heaven  and 
holiness,  when  they  see  in  the  visions  of  everlasting  light,  the 
way  from  earth  to  heaven,  in  something  like  Jacob's  ladder, 
whose  seven  steps  are  beautifully  described  by  the  apostle 
Peter,  as  ''  Virtue,  Knowledge,  Temperance,  Patience,  Grodli- 


43 

ness,  Brotherly-kindness  and  Charity/'  On  these  steps  they 
behold  the  messengers  or  angels,  ascending  and  descending  in 
the  character  of  ministers  and  teachers  of  the  everlasting 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  under  the  same  blessed  visi- 
tation of  light,  they  might  see  as  certainly  that  there  is  ano- 
ther ladder,  which  reaches  from  earth  to  Hell,  having  seven 
steps  exactly  opposite,  ^^Licentiousness,  Ignorance,  Intem- 
perance, Impatient-anger,  Devilishness,  Covetousness,  and 
Proud-ambition/'  On  the  steps  of  these  two  ladders  stand 
the  whole  world  of  intelligent  probationary  beings. 

It  being  settled  as  an  eternal  truth,  that  "in  every  nation, 
they  that  fear  God  and  work  righteousness  are  accepted  with 
him,''  it  is  a  perfectly  rational  conclusion  that  all  who  are  vir- 
tuous, all  who  are  faithful  to  the  light  they  have,  all  whose 
temperance  and  moderation  are  dignified  and  rational,  all 
who  are  patient  and  influenced  by  justice  and  mercy,  all 
whose  brotherly  kindness  leads  them  to  do  to  others  as  they 
would  that  others  should  do  unto  them,  all  who  have  that 
heavenly  charity,  which  thinketh  no  evil,  that  crown  and  dia- 
dem of  the  redeemed  soul,  let  their  name  and  profession  of 
religion  be  v/hat  it  may,  are  standing  on  that  ladder 
which  resteth  on  that  living  faith,  that  works  by  love  and 
reaches  from  earth  to  the  Heaven  of  Heavens.  All  that  are 
licentious,  all  that  are  wickedly  ignorant,  all  that  are  intem- 
perate, all  that  are  vindictive  and  impatient,  all  that  are  devil- 
ish, all  that  are  covetous,  all  that  are  ambitious  and  proud, 
let  their  name  or  profession  to  religion  be  what  it  may,  all 
stand  upon  some  of  the  steps  of  that  ladder  that  hangs  upon 
earthly  opinion,  and  reaches  down — down,  to  a  bottomless 
pit,  into  everlasting  darkness,  where  there  is  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth. 

If  then  my  figure  is  correct,  dear  young  people,  the  subject 
matter  I  have  to  submit  to  your  serious  consideration  is  of 
the  most  interesting  and  awful  character.  It  is  certainly  a 
most  pleasing  and  interesting  reflection,  that  we  have  the  in- 
estimable privilege  of  rising  out  of  the  vanity  of  time,  into 
the  glorious  riches  of  eternity.  At  the  same  time  ETERNI- 
TY, if  pleasing,  is  an  awful,  dreadful  thought.  Seek  then, 
dear  children,  through  the  tendering  visitations  of  eternal 
truth,  an  establishment  in  that  faith  that  works  by  love — a 
heartfelt  belief  in  that  God  that  was  manifest  in  the  flesh, 


44 

justified  in  the  spirit,  seen  of  angels,  preached  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles, believed  on  in  the  world,  and  received  up  into  glory. 
That  God  that  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  be- 
gotten Son,  that  whosoever  should  believe  on  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  For  God  sent  not  his  Son 
into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world 
through  him  might  be  saved.  He  that  believeth  on  him  is 
not  condemned,  but  he  that  believeth  not  is  condemned,  and 
this  is  the  condemnation  that  light  has  come  into  the  world, 
and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds 
were  evil,  for  every  one  that  doeth  evil  hateth  the  light,  neither 
cometh  to  the  light  lest  his  deeds  should  be  reproved. ^^  This 
is  the  doctrine  preached  by  the  dear  Son  and  sent  of  God  to 
Nicodemus.  A  standing  doctrine  that  will  continue  to  be  true 
till  the  end  of  time.  And  in  preaching  to  his  disciples,  he  cau- 
tioned them  most  emphatically  to  ^'  Take  heed  that  no  man 
deceive  you  by  the  Lo-heres  and  the  Lo-theres,  for  there  shall 
arise  false  Christs,  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  shew  great 
signs,  and  wonders,  insomuch  that  if  it  were  possible,  they 
shall  deceive  the  very  elect.  Behold  I  have  told  you  before  j 
wherefore  if  they  shall  say  unto  you,  behold  he  is  in  the 
desert,  go  not  forth  -,  behold,  he  is  in  the  secret  chambers,  be- 
lieve it  not.  For  as  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  east  and 
shineth  even  unto  the  west,  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  man  be.''  Thus  it  appears  that  our  blessed  Saviour 
declared  that  his  second  appearance,  without  sin  unto  salva- 
tion, would  be  like  lightning.  And  this  is  in  perfect  accord- 
ance with  another  sublime  and  heavenly  declaration,  ^^  I  am 
the  light  of  the  world  -,  he  that  followeth  me  shall  not  walk  in 
darkness,  but  have  the  light  of  life.''  This  view  is  conclu- 
sively supported  by  the  apostle  John,  in  the  very  first  words 
of  his  excellent  testimony,  ''In  the  beginning  was  the  word, 
and  the  word  was  with  God,  and  the  word  was  God.  The 
same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  All  things  were  made 
by  him,  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was 
made.  In  him  was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  ligJit  of  men." 
Be  assured,  then,  dear  young  people,  that  the  light  which  en- 
lighteneth  your  souls  is  inseparable  from  the  life  of  God  in 
your  souls.  As  the  light  gives  sight,  so  the  life  gives  sense, 
and  makes  sin  exceeding  sinful,  and  shows  the  need  of  a  Sa- 
viour to  save  the  soul  from  sin.     This  Saviour  is  seen  in  the 


45 

eternal  Word  that  was  in  the  beginning  with  God  and  is  Goi>. 
Oh,  you  that  believe  in  this  doctrine,  keep,  sacredly  keep, 
your  virtue,  the  first  step  of  the  ladder,  it  will  lead  to 
Heaven, 

"  The  immortal  never  failing  friend  to  m.an, 

His  Way  to  happiness  on  high. 

Guard  then  your  thoughts  ;  your  thoughts  are  heard  in  Heaven; 

There  is  a  watchful  spy ;  a  formidable  foe, 

That  listening,  overhears  the  whisperings  of  your  camp, 

And  all  your  purposes  of  life  explores." 

Do  not  be  discouraged,  dear  children,  if  evil  and  licentious 
thoughts  do  come  into  your  minds.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is 
a  fountain  of  life,  that  will  preserve  you  from  the  snares  of 
death,  and  will  be  a  curb  upon  these  thoughts  when  the  mind  is 
driven  by  impetuous  passions.  Having  become  soldiers  of  the 
cross,  you  must  now  fight  the  good  faith,  and  continue  to  fol- 
low the  captain  of  your  salvation,  who  has  trod  the  steps  of 
that  ladder  before  you,  which  will  certainly  lead  you  into 
heaven.  Being  established  upon  the  sure  foundation  of  virtue, 
you  will  witness  an  enlargement  of  soul  that  will  raise  you  to 
knowledge,  even  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  ' 
Christ.  Being  obedient  to  what  you  thus  know,  your  light 
will  so  shine  before  men  that  it  cannot  be  hid  under  a  bushel, 
or  under  a  bed.  This  will  draw  the  attention  of  the  people 
towards  you,  as  virtuous,  intelligent  young  men  and  women. 
Here  is  a  snare  and  temptation,  and  j^ou  will  need  the  instruc- 
tion embraced  in  a  saying  of  the  Saviour,  '^  Wo  unto  you  when 
all  men  speak  well  of  you."  Dear  James  Naylor,  who  as- 
cended and  descended  on  this  ladder,  declared  near  his  close 
that  the  ^'world's  joy"  murdered  the  divine  life.  I  know 
what  I  say  by  experience,  having  suffered  loss  by  being  pleased 
with  the  attention  and  respect  paid  by  poor  weak  mortals  like 
myself.  Oh !  the  need  of  humility  and  abasement  of  soul, 
which  Christ  only  can  give,  and  will  give  to  all  that  ask  him. 

Thus,  dear  children,  you  will  mount  upwards  upon  the  steps 
of  temperance  and  patience,  and  your  light  will  continue  to 
shine  forth  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  for  you  now 
.have  but  one  step  to  the  highest  state  of  perfection  under  the 
law-covenant, — a  state  realized  by  Enoch,  Noah,  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob,  Moses,  Joshua,  Gideon,  David,  and  Daniel. 

In  every  nation  they  that  fear  God  and  work  righteousness 


4G 

are  accepted  with  him,  and  all  such  must  love  the  Lord  their 
God  with  all  their  heart,  with  all  their  soul,  and  with  all 
their  mind,  and  their  neighbor  as  themselves.  This  embraces 
the  perfection  of  that  love  our  Lord  alluded  to  when  he  said, 
^'Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his 
life  for  his  friend/'  This  is  the  highest  state  of  perfection 
that  man,  as  man,  can  arrive  at.  The  apostle  Peter  was  in 
the  state  of  a  icarrior,  when  he  drew  his  sword  to  defend  the 
body  of  his  master.  But  it  is  a  step  below  the  Christian  state, 
and  may  be  compared  to  the  high  mountain,  where  the  Devil 
tempted  our  Lord  with  the  riches  and  glory  of  this  world,  and 
where,  alas  !  alas  !  he  has  too  successfully  tempted  too  many 
of  his  professed  followers,  and  drawn  them  as  the  stars  of 
heaven  to  the  earth,  and  their  descent  has  been  a  great  dis- 
couragement to  dear  young  people,  who  have  just  begun  to 
ascend. 

Having  given  the  views  that  I  think  have  been  given  me  of 
the  perfection  of  the  first  covenant,  including  the  dispensation 
of  John  the  Baptist  and  the  outward  appearance  of  Jesus 
Christ,  I  now  come  to  the  Christian  dispensation  which  is  a 
higher  step  of  the  ladder  that  leads  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
A  kingdom  that  is  not  of  this  world — a  kingdom  whose  sub- 
jects never  did  nor  never  can  fight  with  carnal  weapons  ]  a 
kingdom  that  is  set  up  in  every  immortal  soul  where  Christ 
the  Saviour  is  permitted  to  enter  as  a  quickening  spirit,  and 
rule  and  reign  triumphant;  a  kingdom  where  Christ's  new 
commandment  is  received,  and  true  brotherly  kindness  leads 
all  to  love  one  another  as  Christ  loved  them;  a  kingdom 
whose  subjects  never  did  and  never  can  sue  at  the  law,  and  if 
they  are  sued  at  the  law,  and  their  coat  taken,  they  cannot 
contend  for  the  cloak ;  but  will  give  to  him  that  asketh,  and 
from  him  that  would  borrow,  they  will  not  turn  away,  but 
rejoice  to  do  good  and  lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again.  For 
there  cannot  be  such  a  thing  as  a  usurer  in  this  kingdom,  and 
hence  we  understand  our  blessed  Saviour,  when  he  says,  "  It 
is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than 
for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. '^  This 
is  the  kingdom  our  blessed  Saviour  established  when  he  said, 
''  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  but  now  is  my  kingdom 
not  from  hence.''  All  that  arrive  at  this  state  will  become 
established  in  brotherly  kindness  and  charity,  the  highest  steps 


47 

of  the  ladder,  and  as  pillars  in  the  Lord's  house,  they  go  no 
more  out,  but,  as  kings  and  priests  unto  God,  they  sit  upon 
thrones,  as  judges  in  spiritual  Israel.  This  is  the  perfect 
Christian  state,  that  dear  George  Fox  believed  was  attainable 
in  Christ,  which  was  greater  than  any  perfection  in  Adam, 
and  from  which  there  was  no  fall.  This  is  the  perfect  state 
our  Lord  alluded  to  when  he  said,  ^'  Be  ye  perfect  as  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect." 

Now,  dear  children,  fully  believing  this  state  attainable,  I 
am  concerned  daily  to  press  after  it,  as  the  mark  for  the  prize 
of  the  high  calling  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  if  I  can  arrive  at  this 
state  I  am  sure  of  happiness  in  this  world,  and  everlasting 
happiness  in  that  world  which  is  without  end.  And  as  the 
immortal,  never-dying  soul  is  created  in  the  image  and  likeness 
of  God,  whose  centre  is  everywhere  and  whose  circumference 
is  nowhere ;  who  is  infinite  in  power,  infinite  in  wisdom,  infi- 
nite in  goodness,  and  infinite  in  mercy ;  the  soul  immortal 
being  clothed  with  an  increasing  portion  of  these  infinite  attri- 
butes, with  an  infinity  of  space  for  their  exercise,  must  shine 
with  new  accessions  of  glory  and  brighten  to  all  eternity. 

But  now  come  with  me,  dear  youth,  and  behold  the  dread- 
ful contrast  on  that  ladder  which  reaches  from  earth  to  hell. 

It  is  no  chimera,  it  is  no  flight  or  picture  of  the  imagi- 
nation, it  is  an  awful  reality  that  the  soul,  created  in  the 
image  of  God,  is  a  free  agent  and  makes  its  own  election.  If 
it  choses  the  way  to  heaven,  to  heaven  it  will  surely  go.  If 
it  choses  the  way  to  hell,  to  hell  it  will  surely  go.  Beware, 
then,  of  the  indulgence  of  licentious  thoughts,  or  a  licentious 
devil  will  surely  possess  the  soul,  and  lead  young  men  and 
young  women  to  commit  the  deadly  sin.  They  will  then  love 
darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  are  evil.  Then 
the  devil  of  darkness  will  debase  them  below  brutality,  and 
blot  out  of  their  very  nature  everything  that  is  innocent  and 
beautiful.  Here  the  devil  of  intemperance  comes  in,  and 
hurries  them  down  the  ladder  to  the  devil  of  impatience,  whose 
vindictive  anger  marshaling  the  malevolent  passions — jea- 
lousy, envy,  hatred,  and  revenge — produces  quarrelling,  fight- 
ing, and  murder.  The  poor  soul,  now  arrived  at  a  perfect 
devilish  state,  lifts  up  its  eyes  in  Hell,  being  in  torment. 
When  the  Saviour  descended  into  and  sufi"ered  for  this  state, 
He  cried  out,  '^JNly  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 


'  48 

me?'^  When  tlie  apostle  Paul,  who  declared  he  wascmeified 
with  Christ,  was  baptized  into  the  same  state,  he  said,  "  0  ! 
wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body 
of  this  death."  All  that  are  dead  in  sin,  are  in  this  state,  and 
unless  they  look  to  the  light  that  still  shines  even  in  this  dark 
horrible  pit,  from  the  countenance  of  a  merciful  Saviour,  and 
obey  his  voice,  they  will  continue  to  descend  into  the  bottom- 
less pit,  and  increase  in  wretchedness  and  misery  to  all  eternity. 
But  every  poor  sinner  that  will  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God  shall  live,  for  he  has  emphatically  declared,  ^'I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life ;  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he 
were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live  f  and  the  beloved  Paul,  in  accord- 
ance with  this,  thanked  God  that  the  sinner  was  delivered 
from  the  body  of  sin  and  death,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord. 

I  could  enlarge  and  say  much  on  this  awfully  interesting 
subject,  but  I  have  already  exceeded  the  bounds  of  brevity, 
and  shall  only  notice  the  subtile  operations  of  the  two  last  of 
the  seven  devils,  or  evil  spirits,  that  torment  the  soul  of  man 
in  time  and  in  eternity. 

The  five  first  already  noticed — licentiousness,  ignorance,  in- 
temperance, impatient  anger,  and  devilishness — are  called  in 
the  Scriptures  unclean  devils,  from  the  fact  of  their  producing 
the  most  unclean  and  abominable  conduct.  The  two  last, 
which  are  covetousness  and  pride,  I  shall  call  clean  devils, 
because  they  go  so  well  dressed  and  keep  such  respectable 
company,  and  are  so  highly  esteemed  amongst  men,  although 
a  greater  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God  than  their  prede- 
cessors, which  is  abundantly  proved  by  the  testimony  of  the 
Saviour  against  the  rich  and  proud  scribes  and  pliarisees, 
when  He  said,  '^  The  publicans  and  harlots  go  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  before  you."  Now,  dear  American  youth, 
especially  you  that  have  had  the  inestimable  blessing  of  pious 
parents  or  guardians,  who  have  introduced  you  early  to  that 
ladder  which  reaches  from  earth  to  heaven,  and  through  a  re- 
newed visitation  of  the  day-spring  from  on  high,  have  ascended 
some  steps  on  your  heavenly  way,  your  characters  have  become 
pretty  well  established  as  virtuous,  intelligent,  exemplary  young 
men  and  women,  almost  out  of  the  reach  of  the  unclean  spirits, 
for  licentious  thought  is  restrained  by  the  fear  of  the  Lord, 
which  as  a  fountain  of  light  preserves  from  the  snare  of  death; 


49 

but  as  you  are  now  following  the  captain  of  your  salvation, 
you  must  be  tempted  in  a  degree  as  He  was.  If  you  have 
become  zealously  united  with  any  religious  society,  the  devil 
will  try  to  persuade  you  to  command  the  stones  to  be  made 
bread. 

If  I  understand  the  spiritual  meaning  of  this  interesting 
figure,  and  I  think  I  do, — when  such  young  people  that  have 
been  preciously  visited,  and  the  bread  that  comes  down  from 
heaven,  which  will  nourish  their  souls  up  into  eternal  life,  has 
been  given  them;  they  love  it  dearly  while  their  hearts  are 
soft  and  tender,  but  when  it  is  withheld  from  them  in  the  fast, 
which  is  as  much  a  word  of  God  as  the  eating  of  the  bread, 
they  become  hungry,  and  for  the  want  of  keeping  the  word  of 
heavenly  patience,  the  evil  spirit  of  impatience  gets  the  ascen- 
dency, and  they  become  restless  and  unsteady.  If  they  are 
Quakers,  they  talk  too  much,  and  like  to  argue  and  dispute, 
running  after  popular  preachers  and  lecturers,  neglecting  their 
business,  and  breaking  their  word,  and  get  full  of  zeal  for 
matter  of  opinion,  while  their  hearts  are  as  hard  as  stones,  and 
their  spirits  as  cruel  as  Turks.  These  command  the  stones  to 
be  made  bread,  and  live  upon  it,  and  when  a  poor  hungry 
child  of  God  asks  them  for  heavenly  bread,  they  can  only  give 
them  a  stone. 

Where  any,  whether  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  or  others, 
give  way  to  this  temptation  of  the  devil,  they  not  only  mani- 
fest all  the  foregoing  anti-christian  traits,  but  they  sing  and 
make  long  prayers,  preparatory  to  receiving  the  greater  dam- 
nation. These,  though  they  are  evidently  going  down  the  lad- 
der towards  hell,  the  Devil  raises  them  on  to  a  high  mountain, 
in  their  own  imagination,  where  the  glory  and  riches  of  this 
world  are  presented  to  them,  and  the  Devil's  powerful  agent, 
cursed  self,  prevails,  or  persuades  them  to  fall  down  and  wor- 
ship him  ]  then  if  they  can  succeed  in  making  money,  and 
putting  it  out  to  usury,  or  in  adding  house  to  house,  and  field 
to  field,  if  they  are  high  professors,  especially  ministers,  they 
will  be  followed  by  flatterers  and  fools  enough  to  assist  the 
Devil  in  placing  them  on  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  where 
their  spiritual  pride  persuades  them  they  are  favorites  of  hea- 
ven, and  their  abominable  presumption  leads  them  to  take  a 
leap  in  the  dark,  with  the  vain  expectation  that  the  very  an- 

5 


50 

gels  of  heaven  will  bear  tliem  up ;  but,  ob  !  fatal  mistake — 
they  fall  and  disgrace  the  cause  of  truth. 

In  the  fall  of  1801,  I  agreed  with  my  employer,  Joshua  C 
Canby,  to  work  at  the  coach-making  business,  particularly  the 
painting,  for  thirteen  dollars  per  month,  and  he  to  find  me  my 
board  and  lodging,  and  give  me  every  Fifth-day,  from  9  until 
2  o'clock,  so  that  I  might  go  to  meeting,  which  was  about  two 
and  a-half  miles.  I  went  to  Middletown  meeting.  I  had  to  walk, 
and,  I  think,  for  forty  years,  I  have  no  recollection  of  missing  a 
mid-week  meeting,  when  I  was  well  enough  to  go,  and  had  I 
been  as  faithful  in  every  thing  that  was  required  of  me,  I  have 
thought  I  should  have  come  out  in  the  ministry,  about  the 
22d  year  of  my  age.  But  I  was  unfaithful  in  little  things, 
and  therefore  was  never  made  ruler  over  much,  and  the  impe- 
tuous waves  of  youthful  passion,  too  often  carried  the  weak, 
wayward  young  man  out  of  the  straight  and  narrow  way,  and 
greatly  increased  the  difficulty  of  his  probationary  journey. 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  say  much,  if  any  thing,  about  my 
business  as  a  mechanic,  for  I  think  it  has  always  been  marked 
with  weakness. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1803,  I  applied  to  the  overseers  of 
Middletown  Monthly  Meeting,  to  be  received  into  membership 
with  Friends.  I  was  received  with  open  arms,  and  the  dear 
old  Friends  that  were  appointed  to  visit  me,  have  left  a  savor 
of  sweetness  upon  my  mind.  I  love  to  think  of  them  and 
hope  to  meet  them  in  heaven. 

On  the  ITth  of  11th  month,  of  the  same  year,  I  was  mar- 
ried to  Sarah,  the  second  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Susannah 
Worstall,  of  this  town,  near  neighbors  to  my  father,  and  their 
daughter  was  the  first  object  of  my  youthful  affection,  even 
whilst  I  was  a  child.  I  loved  her  with  that  love  which  an  all- 
wise  Creator  has  placed  in  every  perfect  nature  and  rational 
man,  for  a  wise  and  good  purpose,  and  she  has  conferred  on 
me  as  much  natural  and  rational  happiness  as  any  man  ought 
to  have  in  this  world,  and  after  a  union  of  forty  years,  I  am 
thankful  in  being  able  to  say  that  I  feel  an  increasing  love  for 
her,  and  a  daily  prayer  that  our  immortal  spirits  may  be  pre- 
pared for  the  enjoyment  of  God  in  glory. 

In  the  spring  of  1804,  we  settled  in  Milford,  living  in  a 
small  house,  for  we  were  poor,  and  I  had  not  wherewith  to 
build  or  purchase,  and  better  might  it  have  been  for  us  if  I 
had  not  been  persuaded  to  borrow  money  and  build  a  liouse, 


51 

vihen  1  was  not  able  to  pay  for  it.  This  was  the  commence- 
ment of  serious  pecuniary  embarrassments,  and  having  learned 
from  the  things  I  have  suffered,  I  am  prepared  to  give  or  leave 
this  advice  to  who  ever  may  read  it,  when  I  am  gone  into  the 
eternal  world :  Never  go  in  debt — never  borrow  money. 
Be  humble — BE  industrious,  your  wants  will  then  be 

FEW,  and   your   industry  WILL  MORE  THAN    SUPPLY   THEM. 

It  would  be  as  unnecessary  as  it  would  be  uninteresting,  to 
go  into  a  detail  of  the  discouragements  and  difficulties  I  had  to 
pass  through;  suffice  it  to  say,  my  debts  and  dealings  brought 
me  in  contact  with  selfish  men,  and  my  want  of  capacity  made 
me  a  kind  of  prey  for  them.  This  had  a  tendency  to  chafe 
and  sour  me,  and  I  soon  got  into  a  state  like  the  man  in  the 
fable,  who  got  his  neighbors  faults  and  his  own  into  a  wallet, 
but  in  putting  it  on  his  shoulder  he  got  his  own  faults  behind 
and  his  neighbors  before  his  eyes,  where  he  could  always  see 
them.  Thus  I  got  to  be  a  great  talker,  and  a  great  fault  finder, 
and,  if  I  remember  right,  joined  a  debating  society,  read  news 
papers,  particularly  the  speeches  of  members  of  Congress, 
we;;t  to  elections,  talked  politics;  but  keeping  to  meeting. 
Friends  put  me  forward  into  an  office  I  was  unfit  for ;  a  mis- 
take that  Leah-eyed  friends  are  too  apt  to  make,  to  the  great 
injury  of  the  individual  and  the  cause  of  truth.  I  was  more- 
over a  very  zealous  temperance  man,  and  of  course  denounced 
every  one,  particularly  Friends,  who  sold  or  used  distilled 
spirituous  liquors ;  for,  a  short  time  before  I  had  built  a  house 
without  finding  one  drop,  and  I  believe  it  was  the  first  that 
was  built  without  spirituous  liquor,  in  the  lower  section  of 
Bucks  county. 

I  think  it  was  about  this  time  that  my  orthodox  faith  was 
so  strong  that  I  trampled  under  foot  both  the  gentleman  and  the 
Christian,  in  treating  with  rudeness  and  unkindness  a  distant 
relation  of  my  wife,  who  was  said  to  be  a  Deist,  that  had  only 
come  to  pay  us  a  friendly  visit.  I  felt  so  exceedingly  mad 
against  him,  that  I  thought  if  I  had  power,  that  I  could  whip 
him  till  the  blood  run  down  to  his  heels.  In  this  state  of 
mind  I  soon  got  tired  of  Friends,  and  thought  of  quitting 
them  and  joining  the  Methodists.  I  attended  their  meetings, 
and  invited  their  ministers  to  my  house,  where  their  long 
prayers  greatly  annoyed  my  wife,  who  could  have  no  unity 
with  them. 

Thus  I  went  staggering  along,  still  keeping  my  neighbors 


52 

faults  in  the  fore-end  of  the  wallet,  and  my  own  behind  my 
back,  till  I  met  with  a  female  Friend  in  the  ministry,  at  the 
house  of  a  particular  friend  of  mine,  where  I  was  talking  in 
my  usual  style,  until  I  noticed  a  peculiar  solemnity  and  silence 
in  the  countenance  of  the  woman  that  alarmed  me,and  seizing  the 
wallet,  she  soon  turned  it  end  for  end.  At  the  sight  of  my  own 
faults  I  fled  from  her  with  precipitancy.  Her  husband  followed  me 
for  some  distance,  affectionately  requesting  me  to  stop.  But  I 
went  home  resolving  to  talk  less  and  pray  more.  And  now 
having  a  better  view  of  my  own  faults,  I  lost  sight  of  my 
neighbors,  for  my  own  sins  had  become  exceeding  sinful,  es- 
pecially in  solemn  silent  meetings,  where  I  was  often  led  to 
weep,  and  secretly  and  fervently  pray  that  I  might  be  restored 
to  my  heavenly  Father's  house,  from  which  I  had  evidently 
wandered,  and  was  squandering  the  heavenly  living  that  was 
imparted  to  me,  in  selfish  speculation  and  vain  conversation. 
Meetings  become  more  and  more  interesting,  and  I  was  glad 
when  I  could  go  to  them.  At  a  monthly  meeting,  when  a  case 
of  difficulty  was  introduced,  I  ventured  to  speak  a  few  words, 
which  were  so  well  received,  that  a  goodly  Friend,  to  encour- 
age me,  spoke  too  much  in  favor  of  what  I  had  said,  which 
hurt  me,  for  it  strengthened  one  of  my  greatest  enemies — 
vanity.  Oh  !  the  mischief  that  has  been  done  to  poor,  weak, 
visited  children,  by  "silly  women'' — male  and  female — who  are 
beautifully  pre-figured  by  the  singers  after  Saul  and  David; 
they  ran  me  on  a  rock  on  which  1  was  nearly  lost  forever. 

And  if  I,  so  evidently  deficient  in  learning,  in  talent,  in 
eloquence  and  personal  appearance,  should  be  scarcely  saved, 
as  a  miracle,  a  brand  snatched  out  of  the  burning,  what  will 
become  of  some  young  ministers  that  have  recently  appeared 
among  us,  in  possession  of  all  these  and  almost  every  other 
qualification  that  can  please  a  vain  fantastical  world.  Alas ! 
what  have  I  seen  in  the  last  forty  years  ?  Young  men  and 
young  women,  like  the  foregoing,  who  have  come  out  in  so- 
ciety, and  with  sanguine  cheer,  and  streamers  gay,  have  cut 
their  cable,  launched  into  the  world,  and  seemed  to  "  fondly 
dream  each  wind  and  star  their  friend."  But  where  are  they? 
Alas !  some  have  sunk  downright.  "  O'er  them,  and  o'er 
their  names  the  billows  closed."  The  morrow  knew  not  they 
were  ever  born.  Some  few  a  short  memorial  left  behind,  like 
the  flag  floating  when  the  bark's  engulphed,  it  floats  a  moment 
and  is  seen  no  more. 


I  felt  it  my  duty  to  extend  some  fatherly  care  towards  two 
of  the  young  men  above  alluded  to.  To  one  of  them  I  wrote 
a  few  lines,  and  to  the  other  I  spoke  personally  at  his  own  house^ 
but  they  did  not  regard  my  counsel.  When  I  mentioned  a 
concern  to  the  one  I  spoke  with,  that  he  should  try  to  get  upon 
the  ground  of  the  primitive  saints,  and  referred  to  Paurs  epistles, 
he  soon  let  me  know  that  he  was  much  more  edified  with  E. 
H.^s  letters  than  Paul's,  although  not  prepared  to  say  they 
were  better.  And  as  this  young  man  was  a  great  admirer  of 
the  celebrated  Doctor  Channing,  I  did  not  recommend  him  to 
read  Christ's  sermon  on  the  mount,  for  if  he  had  been  equal- 
ly candid,  he  might  have  told  me  that  he  would  rather  read 
the  Doctor's  sermons,  which  would  have  hurt  me  very  much. 
I  feel  at  times  as  if  I  ought  to  say  something  more  to  him, 
but  really  I  do  not  know  how  to  get  at  him,  for  it  seems  that 
either  my  own  unskilful  conduct,  or  the  zeal  of  some  other 
Peter,  has  cut  off  his  right  ear  and  he  will  not  hear  me.  This 
same  young  man  appeared  to  wish  to  argue  on  some  inexpli- 
cable doctrinal  point  or  subject  when  on  a  visit  at  my  house. 
But  I  was  not  prepared  to  comply  with  his  wish,  and  gave  my 
reasons.  I  told  him  that  I  was  an  uncommonly  dogmatical 
disputant,  and  being  in  my  own  house,  I  was  tenacious  of  the 
character  of  a  gentleman,  and  therefore  would  rather  not. 
And  besides,  I  had  never  seen  much  good  come  from  such  dis- 
putes, and  we  had  better  agree  to  disagree.  I  believe  he 
thought  I  was  afraid  of  him,  or  my  opinions,  or  both.  His 
dear  wife  seemed  to  be  a  good  deal  hurt,  and  thought  that  I  did  not 
appreciate  the  value  of  her  husband.  She  is  a  lovely  woman, 
and  appears  to  possess,  in  the  extreme,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful traits  of  a  perfect  woman, — she  loves  her  husband  to  ad- 
miration. And  should  she  be  a  silly  woman  at  home,  and  add 
her  song  to  the  song  of  the  silly  women  abroad,  I  fear  the  wo 
spoken  by  the  Saviour  will  rest  upon  her  husband. 

But  to  return  to  my  narrative;  in  the  spring  of  1810,  I 
attended  our  Yearly  Meeting  under  considerable  exercise.  I 
was  certainly  in  a  tender  state,  and  more  disposed  to  silent 
prayer  than  vain  conversation ;  for  I  had  been  in  this  state  for 
some  months,  and  frequently  in  meeting  had  solemn  and  awful 
apprehensions  that  it  was  my  duty  publicly  to  advocate  the 
cause  of  Christ.  But  the  fear  of  being  deceived,  and  a  sense 
of  my  own  unworthiness,  kept  me  back,  and  when  meeting 

5* 


54 

broke  up  I  would  sometimes  feel  so  weak  and  faint,  that  I 
could  scarcely  rise  from  my  seat.  But  this  Yearly  Meeting, 
upon  the  whole,  was  a  strengthening  time  to  me,  though  I 
met  with  one  thing  that  hurt  me,  and  I  mention  it  as  a  caution 
to  Friends  in  the  ministry.  A  minister  invited  me  to  dine 
with  him,  and  I  went.  In  the  course  of  his  conversation  he 
spoke  of  a  friend,  that,  he  said,  disturbed  the  meeting  with  his 
public  appearances }  and  on  one  occasion  some  young  man,  who 
sat  behind,  struck  him  in  such  a  manner  as  to  cause  him  to 
drop  upon  his  seat,  when,  says  this  ministering  friend,  in  a 
light  manner,  he  immediately  fell  upon  his  knees,  and  bawled 
out  like  a  calf  The  unfeeling  manner  in  which  he  spoke  of 
it,  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact  that  he  himself  had  been 
in  the  street  called  strait,  and  so  deranged  that  his  friends  had 
to  chain  him,  seemed  too  much  like  taking  a  poor  brother  by 
the  throat.  It  wounded  my  feelings  very  much,  and  I  still 
hope  I  may  ever  be  preserved  from  being  influenced  by  such  a 
spirit,  and  speaking  in  such  an  unfeeling  manner. 

The  Yearly  Meeting  closed  I  believe  on  the  evening  of  the 
20th,  and  on  the  21st  I  returned  home.  On  the  22d  being 
First  day  I  went  to  meeting — a  meeting  ever  memorable  to 
me,  because  it  was  in  that  meeting  I  first  gave  up  publicly  to 
advocate  the  cause  of  Christ.  I  had  suflPered  for  disobedience 
to  the  heavenly  vision,  and  an  awful  fear  clothed  my  mind 
that  this  would  be  the  last  call  I  would  ever  have.  I  trembled, 
I  wept,  and  kneeling  I  offered  a  few  words  in  prayer  or  suppli- 
cation. The  meeting  was  evidently  dipped  into  sympathy  and 
feeling  with  me,  for  Friends  rose  simultaneously.  It  was  but 
a  few  words  that  I  could  utter,  and  on  taking  my  seat,  I  wept 
almost  aloud.  As  soon  as  meeting  broke  I  walked  immediately 
out  of  the  house,  and  went  home,  without  speaking  to  any 
one;  but.  Oh!  the  precious  tenderness,  love,  and  joy  that 
filled  my  soul.  And  for  two  or  three  weeks  I  loved  every  one 
I  saw,  whilst  my  heart  seemed  full  of  prayer  for  their  present 
and  everlasting  welfare.  With  what  singleness  of  heart,  with 
what  fear  and  trembling,  I  went  to  the  next  meeting  in  the 
middle  of  the  week,  and  feeling  as  I  thought  the  commandment 
to  speak  a  few  words,  I  did  so,  and  felt  my  strength  renewed  ', 
and  on  the  next  First  day,  feeling  a  similar  concern,  I  spoke 
again,  but  was  brought  under  a  great  fear  lest  I  should  burthen 
my  friends,  and  was  favored  to  be  silent  some  weeks,  and  being 


55 

thrown  into  contact  with  the  world  and  its  concerns,  I  was 
tossed  as  it  were  upon  the  tempestuous  billows,  and  not  com- 
forted except  in  the  house  of  prayer. 

Having  for  six  or  seven  years  felt  it  my  duty  faithfully  to 
bear  a  testimony  against  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors,  Friends 
were  renewedly  stirred  up  to  engage  in  the  concern,  and  in  the 
quarterly  meeting  at  Buckingham,  the  same  year,  1810,  a 
large  committee  was  appointed  to  assist  the  monthly  meetings, 
who  were  recommended  to  make  similar  appointments.  In 
this  committee  I  labored  with  Friends  and  others,  to  convince 
them  that  it  was  their  duty  to  lay  aside  the  use  of  this  per- 
nicious article  as  a  drink,  and  as  an  article  of  trade. 

About  this  time  that  eccentric,  but  most  dignified  minister 
of  Jesus  Christ,  James  Simpson,  came  into  the  neighborhood, 
and  sent  for  me  to  come  and  see  him  at  a  friend's  house.  I 
spent  the  evening  with  him.  He  took  me  as  it  were  in  his 
arms  as  a  father,  and  as  long  as  he  lived,  which  was  a  little 
more  than  a  year,  he  continued  to  manifest  the  most  fatherly 
and  afi'ectionate  kindness.  Notwithstanding  he  stood  so  high 
with  Friends  and  others,  and  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
greatest  ministers  of  his  day,  no  memorial  was  ever  prepared 
for  him.  Whether  this  omission  was  owing  to  his  eccentricity, 
his  distinguished  honesty,  or  his  great  severity  on  spiritual 
wickedness  in  high  places,  I  know  not;  but  I  am  inclined  to 
think  it  was  owing  to  the  latter,  for  some  of  the  leaders  of 
the  people  in  Philadelphia,  who  had  caused  them  to  err,  and 
were  destroying  the  way  of  their  paths,  were  sore,  made  so  by 
his  chastising  rod. 

Dear  William  Blakey,  another  precious  father  in  the  church, 
and  who  as  a  spiritual  parent,  nursed  me  in  his  arms  in  my  spi- 
ritual infancy,  was  never  memorialized  by  Middletown  monthly 
meeting,  for  the  same  reason,  for  he  was  much  like  James 
Simpson,  only  inferior  as  a  minister.  But  these  truly  valuable 
Friends  needed  no  memorials  issued  in  the  dead  letter  from  a 
monthly  meeting,  for  I  trust  their  names  are  gloriously  en- 
rolled in  the  records  of  eternity,  and  they  have  left  a  savor 
grateful  to  surviving  generations,  and  as  dear  James  Simpson, 
especially,  was  concerned  to  obey  that  commandment  of  the 
Saviour,  ^^  Make  unto  yourselves  friends  of  the  mammon  of 
unrighteousness,  that  when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive  you  into 
everlasting   habitations,'^   he    was   received   into    the    never- 


dying  souls  of  many,  there  to  remain  till  they  meet  in  'Hhe 
general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first-born^  whose  names 
are  written  in  heaven/' 

My  inward  exercises  and  outward  difficulties,  occasioned 
partly  by  unfaithfulness,  and  partly  by  a  constitutional  weak- 
ness and  want  of  capacity  for  business,  frequently  brought  me 
into  "  the  street  called  Strait/'  And  the  respectable  old  patri- 
arch of  the  place,  had  probably  discovered  that  I  lacked  the 
enterprise  for  such  a  citizen  as  he  wished;  and,  moreover, 
being  a  little  sore  from  the  severe  stroke  I  gave  him  and  his 
sons  for  selling  spirituous  liquors  indiscriminately,  when  I  told 
them  with  a  zeal  somewhat  like  the  lecturers  of  the  present 
day,  that  a  curse  would  attend  their  wicked  traffic,  and  what- 
ever they  might  gain  over  the  devil's  back,  they  would  lose, 
under  his  belly.  And  now  having  come  out  as  a  public  advo- 
cate for  the  cause  of  Christ,  that  I  would  be  less  likely  to 
tolerate  his  skeptical  notions,  I  think  he  was  quite  willing  I 
should  leave  the  place ;  I  therefore,  towards  the  close  of  the 
year,  sold  our  house  and  lot  in  Milford,  intending  to  move  to 
Newtown,  where  my  father,  my  wife's  father,  mother,  and 
other  relatives  then  lived.  In  the  spring  of  1811  the  time  of 
moving  drew  near,  and  I  had  not  been  able  to  get  a  place  to 
move  to.  Towards  the  latter  part  of  the  Third  month,  I  went 
to  Newtown,  having  heard  that  Abraham  Chapman,  a  reputable 
and  wealthy  lawyer,  talked  of  selling  his  house  and  lot  on 
which  he  then  lived.  When  I  called  upon  him  he  gave  me 
little  or  no  encouragement.  It  was  now  but  a  few  days  till 
we  onust  move,  and  I  had  left  my  wife  in  a  great  deal  of  trouble, 
and  of  course  was  deeply  distressed  at  the  thought  of  going 
home  without  any  intelligence  that  would  relieve  her.  But, 
after  a  sleepless  night,  I  had  to  return  with  the  sorrowful 
report  that  we  had  no  home.  I  need  not  say  that  my  poor 
wife,  as  well  as  myself,  were  most  sadly  distressed  and  dis- 
couraged. It  was  meeting  morning,  and  nearly  time  to  start, 
but  I  concluded  not  to  go,  for  I  thought  I  now  must  sink.  I 
went  to  the  shop  to  work,  but  when  I  saw  Friends  going  to 
meeting  it  seemed  to  me,  as  though  a  secret  voice  had  addressed 
the  ear  of  my  soul :  Wilt  thou  now  refuse  to  do  what  thou  hast 
seen  so  clearly  to  be  thy  religious  duty,  because  there  ap- 
pears some  difficulty  in  the  way  ?  Is  not  he  that  has  all 
power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  able  to  open  a  way  where  there 


57 

appears  no  way  ?  Go  to  meeting.  I  went  immediately.  It 
was  rather  late  when  I  got  there,  and  the  meeting  was  pretty 
well  settled.  I  had  scarcely  taken  my  seat  and  turned  inward 
where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made,  when  there  was  a  tender- 
ness and  sweetness  filled  my  soul  as  though  all  sorrow  was 
taken  away.  I  felt  as  I  apprehended  the  commandment  to 
kneel  and  ofi"er  something  like  a  prayer  or  thanksgiving.  It 
was  a  precious  baptizing  meeting,  and  during  the  solemn  si- 
lence I  heard  the  peculiar  cough  of  my  brother-in-law,  at  which 
I  was  a  little  surprised,  as  he  told  me  that  he  could  not  come 
to  meeting  that  day  on  account  of  particular  business.  After 
meeting  was  over  he  came  to  me  with  a  smile,  and  informed 
me  that  he  had  good  news.  Abraham  Chapman  had  come  to 
their  house  that  morning,  and  told  them  that  he  had  thought 
much  of  me  and  my  wife,  through  the  night,  and  thought  it 
right  to  sell  us  his  house  and  lot,  and  board  with  us,  and  we 
might  move  in  a  week  or  two,  and  that  he  wished  my  brother 
to  go  to  Middletown  meeting,  and  tell  me.  This  wonderful 
change  and  sudden  transition  from  sorrow  to  joy,  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  the  Lord's  doings  and  marvellous  in 
my  eyes.  I  went  home  from  meeting  with  feelings  very  dif- 
ferent from  my  feelings  in  the  morning,  and  communicated 
this  most  agreeable  intelligence  to  my  dear  wife,  which  raised 
her  drooping  spirits,  and  she  seemed  like  another  woman. 

On  the  16th  of  the  Fourth  month,  i§tl,  we  moved  to  New- 
town, where  at  that  time,  comparatively  speaking,  every  tenth 
house  was  a  tavern,  and  every  twentieth  of  bad  report. 

I  think  there  were  not  more  than  about  four  or  five  families 
of  Friends  in  Newtown  and  its  vicinity,  no  meeting  of  Friends 
nor  hardly  such  a  thing  thought  of.  No  coach-making  and 
very  little  mechanical  business  of  any  kind,  for  the  people  of 
the  place  seemed  principally  to  depend  upon  the  courts  and 
the  spoil  of  litigious  contention.  The  lawyers,  county  officers, 
and  principal  men  of  the  place,  were  mostly  free  masons^ 
among  whom  religion  and  morals  were  at  a  very  low  ebb. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  9th  month,  I  went  on  business  to 
the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland,  and  stopped  at  Joseph  Tat- 
nal's,  at  Brandy  wine,  who  had  married  a  distant  relation  to 
my  father.  I  was  treated  with  great  kindness,  and  being  un- 
well tarried  the  next  day,  and  attended  a  funeral,  where  being 
brought  under  solemn  exercise,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  speak  a 


58 

few  words  at  the  grave.  Next  day  being  First-day,  I  attended 
the  morning  meeting  at  Wilmington.  Not  being  an  acknow- 
ledged minister,  I  was  for  taking  my  seat  on  the  floor  as  usual, 
when  some  elderly  Friends  laid  hold  of  me  and  forced  me  into 
the  gallery.  This  was  a  new  place  for  me ;  however,  I  thought 
it  my  duty  to  speak,  and  what  I  said  seemed  well  received  by 
the  meeting,  and  I  think  it  is  not  unlikely  that  that  part  of 
my  communication  that  the  people  most  admired  was  borrow- 
ed, for  like  too  many  young  ministers,  I  not  only  borrowed 
other  people's  money,  but  their  sentiments  and  language;  and 
hence  it  was  I  passed,  like  too  many  others,  for  more  than  I 
was  worth.  In  the  afternoon  I  proceeded  on  my  journey  to 
the  Eastern  Shore,  transacted  my  business,  and  returned  to 
my  friend  Tatnal's,  at  Brandywine,  where  an  elderly  Friend 
told  me  what  great  satisfaction  my  discourse  had  given,  and 
that  he  had  heard  an  aged  and  respectable  member  say,  that 
it  was  the  greatest  sermon  he  had  ever  heard,  since  Samnel 
Fothergill's.  Here  now  was  a  sop  calculated  to  send  me  out 
in  the  dark  with  the  devil.  I  knew  the  dose  was  poison,  but 
then  it  was  so  sweet.  Had  I  listened  attentively  to  the  voice 
of  the  heavenly  Shepherd,  like  our  ancient  friend  Luke  Cock, 
who,  though  a  poor  illiterate  butcher,  was  a  great  preacher, 
and  went  up  to  London  in  the  days  of  William  Penn,  and 
after  preaching  one  of  his  great  sermons,  being  in  a  per- 
spiration when  he  sat  down,  William  threw  his  cloak  over 
his  shoulders,  when,  says  Luke,  the  devil  whispering  in  my 
ear,  "  Luke  thee  has  beat  them  all  at  preaching.'^  But  my 
good  master,  continued  he,  addressed  my  other  ear,  "  Luke 
thee  must  not  be  proud,  or  thee  is  ruined."  I  say  if  I  had 
attended  to  the  voice  of  the  heavenly  Shepherd,  I  would  not 
have  suffered  the  song  of  a  silly  woman  to  have  puffed  me  up 
with  pride.  But  ip  be  compared  to  Samuel  Fothergili,  was 
too  much  for  such  a  poor,  vain,  trifling  young  thing  as  I  was,  and 
I  think  I  returned  home  something  like  a  head  and  shoulders 
higher  than  when  I  left.  However,  be  that  as  it  may,  I  was 
soon  recommended  as  a  Friend  that  had  a  gift  in  the  ministry 
by  Middletown  Monthly  Meeting,  to  the  select  quarter,  and 
there  acknowledged.  This,  I  think,  was  in  the  11th  month, 
1811. 

In  the  1st  month,  1812,  or  perhaps  it  was  1813,  I  went  to 
Philadelphia  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  relative,  and  it  being 


59 

the  time  of  their  monthly  meetings,  when  all  the  queries  were 
answered,  I  thought  I  felt  a  freedom  to  attend  them,  and  went 
to  the  North  meeting  on  Third-day.     It  was  a  larger  meeting 
than  common,  in  consequence  of  Susannah  Home,  from  Eng- 
land, being  there.     After  she  had  got  through,  I  thought  it 
right  to  speak,  and  I  think  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  fear  I 
felt  on  seeing  myself  surrounded  by  such  an  assembly,  for  I 
had  taken  my  seat  on  the  floor,  and  the  self-confidence  I  had 
recently  gained,  threw  me  off  of  the  right  path,  and  I  wan- 
dered a  little  too  far,  as  was  beautifully  expressed  by  dear  old 
Thomas  Scattergood,  in  the  last  meeting.     When  about  to 
take  my  seat,  a  rich,  pompous  merchant  said,  ^'  Young  man 
sit  down,  thy  words  have  not  the  savour  of  divine  truth. ^^     I 
sat  down  and  was  almost  astonished  that  I  should  feel  so  calm 
and  quiet,  especially  as  my  nature  was  so  excitable,  and  this 
was  the  first  rebuke  I  ever  had  met  with.     The  meeting  soon 
separated,  and  the  women  went  into  another  apartment.     I 
ought  to  have  sat  quiet,  but  I  got  up  and  went  out  of  the  house, 
and  soon  fell  into  darkness  and  confusion,  and  concluded  to  go 
home,  but  in  passing  up  Key's  alley,  I  overtook  a  plain  old 
man,  who  told  me  not  to  be  discouraged,  it  was  nobody  but 
William  Sansom,  and  he  was  not  worth  minding.     I  immedi- 
ately went  back  to  the  meeting  and  went  up  into  the  gallery, 
and  took  my  seat  with  the  ministers.     I  then   sat  facing  my 
opponent,  who  was  a  very  fine,  handsome  looking  man,  but  I 
thought  he  looked  a  little  alarmed  at  seeing  me  in  that  seat. 
When  the  second  query  was  read,  and  its  answer  brought  be- 
fore us,  the  state  of  the  meeting,  I  arose  and  spoke  in  sub- 
stance as  follows  :  '^  I  feel  a  concern  to  make  a  few  remarks 
touching  the  subject  matter  embraced  in  this  query  and  an- 
swer.    But  before  I  proceed,  it  may  be  right  just  to  notice  a 
rather  extraordinary  circumstance  that  occurred  in  the  forego- 
ing meeting  that  may  be  the  cause  of  some  speculation,  and 
as  a  stranger,  inform  the  meeting  who  I  am.     My  name  is 
Edward    Hicks.     I    am   a  member   of  Middletown  Monthly 
and  Particular  Meeting,  in   Bucks  quarter,  and  a  member  of 
the  meeting  of  ministers  and  elders.     Now  if  I  have  said  any 
thing  in  the  meeting  for  worship,  contrary  to  the  doctrines  of 
the  Christian  religion  as  recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  and 
professed  by  Friends,  I  stand  amenable  to  those  whose  province 
it  is  to  have  a  special  care  over  me.     But  the  puhlic  rebuke, 


60 

from  a  private  memberj  I  consider  derogatory  to  the  decency 
and  order  of  society,  and  beneath  the  dignity  of  a  gentleman 
and  a  Christian.  Nevertheless,  I  am  thankful  I  can  state  with 
sincerity,  that  so  far  from  feeling  any  resentment,  for  such 
unkind  treatment,  I  could  embrace  the  dear  brother  in  my 
arms  in  love,  who  may  have  verily  thought  he  was  doing  God 
service/'  It  may  have  been  permitted  in  wisdom — unerring 
wisdom.  I  may  have  been  wrong  even  in  taking  my  seat  where 
I  did.  I  might  have  got  wrong  in  my  communication;  be 
that  as  it  may,  I  feel  love  in  my  heart  to  all,  and  would  wish 
to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace/'  &c. 
As  soon  as  I  sat  down,  an  aged  minister,  and  native  of  Bucks 
county,  arose  and  spoke  in  substance,  "  I  believe  it  right  for 
me  to  confirm  the  young  man's  testimony.  I  have  known  him 
from  his  infancy,  and  I  know  that  he  is  not  only  a  member, 
but  a  minister  in  good  unity,  and  I  hope  that  the  disorderly 
treatment  he  has  met  with  in  this  meeting,  will  be  properly 
noticed  by  the  overseers,  and  friends  preserved  from  unprofit- 
table  conversation  on  the  subject,  and  so  forth." 

Thomas  Scattergood  then  spoke  nearly  in  the  following 
manner :  "  I  rejoice,  friends,  that  this  matter  has  taken  the 
turn  that  it  has.  I  was  sorry  for  the  interruption,  and  felt 
much  for  the  young  man,  who  I  saw  was  a  stranger.  I  thought 
that  he  had  got  a  little  lost,  and  I  was  travelling  with  him  in 
spirit,  to  find  a  safe  landing  place.  But  however  wrong  he 
may  have  been,  he  has  now  certainly  confirmed  his  doctrine  of 
the  importance  of  love,  by  his  example,"  then  ofiered  a  little 
plaster  for  my  opponent,  by  saying  that  we  were  all  liable  to 
mistakes,  and  that  even  Paul  himself  seems  to  have  got  a  little 
wrong,  when  he  spoke  too  precipitately  to  one  in  authority. 
But  when  he  discovered  his  mistake,  he  said,  ^'  I  wist  not, 
brethren,  that  it  was  God's  high  priest,"  Several  other  friends 
expressed  themselves  in  like  manner,  and  their  unity  with  me, 
and  the  meeting  ended  apparently  with  the  best  of  feelings. 
And  after  meeting.  Friends  seemed  as  if  they  would  have  taken 
me  by  force,  and  made  me  king,  and  none  appeared  more  kind 
and  pressing  for  me  to  go  home  with  them  than  William  San- 
som.  I  went,  however,  with  my  kind,  humble  friend,  Abra- 
ham Lower. 

This  victory,  in  one  of  the  largest,  wealthiest  and  most  re- 
spectable monthly  meetings  in  tbe  city,  if  not  in  the  yearly 


01 

meeting,  was  too  mucli  for  a  poor  shallow  creature  like  me, 
and  1  was  evidently  too  much  elated.  In  the  evening  three  of 
the  elders  called  upon  me.  One  of  them  was  brother-in-law 
to  William  Sansom,  and  no  doubt  a  little  mortified  that  his 
brother  had  committed  himself  so  as  to  be  brouo-ht  under  the 
care  of  the  overseers.  This  friend  appeared  to  be  sour  enouo-h 
to  leaven  the  whole  lump.  They  first  began  by  finding  fault 
with  some  expressions  I  used;  particularly  ^'eternal  reason. '' 
I  explained  my  meaning  :  that  reason  being  the  highest  foc- 
ulty  of  the  soul,  was  the  only  recipient  of  the  Divine  lio-ht. 
The  one  I  compared  to  the  moon,  and  the  other  to  the  sun. 
As  the  light  of  the  moon  that  shines  on  our  earth,  comes  from 
the  sun,  so  the  light  of  reason,  when  jpropei^Ii/  used  in  promo- 
ting the  cause  of  Christ,  is  an  emanation  from  Christ,  the 
eternal  Son  of  righteousness,  consequently  eternal  in  its  na- 
ture and  everlasting  in  its  duration.  They  seemed  not  disposed 
to  be  satisfied  ;  I  fear  too  much  like  the  wolf  in  the  fable,  that 

)  wanted  to  quarrel  with  the  lamb  for  muddying  the  water  so  that  he 
could  not  drink,  though  the  lamb  was  below  him  in  the  stream, 
and  tried  to  explain  to  him  the  impossibility  of  his  charge  be- 
ing true.  The  wolf  referred  to  some  old  family  quarrel,  as  a 
pretext  to  destroy  the  innocent.  I  do  not  wish  to  apply  this 
in  its  fullest  extent  to  these  elders,  but  I  verily  believe  they 
were  wrong  in  coming,  after  what  had  passed  in  the  monthly 
meeting.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  am  sure  I  was  not  right  in 
talking  to  them  as  I  did,  towards  the   close  of  our  interview, 

)  for  I  had  lost  the  christian  spirit  that  I  had  in  the  monthly 
meeting,  when  truth  bore  away  the  victory,  and  they  left  me 
in  a  state  bordering  on  despair. 

I  have  thought  that  had  I  been  of  a  melancholy  complexion 
I  might  have  been  tempted  to  commit  suicide,  that  dreadful 
sleepless  night.  I  was  now  down  low  enough,  and  in  the  morning 
determined  to  go  home.  But  an  inward  voice  seemed  to  com- 
mand me  to  go  to  Pine  Street.  This  seemed  to  me  terrible,  for 
I  had  heard  of  Nicholas  Wain  and  Jonathan  Evans,  and  dread- 
ed to  come  in  contact  with  them ;  as  though  they  were  a  lion 
and  a  bear.  But  to  Pine  street  Monthly  meeting  [  must  go, 
and  had  any  one,  with  Christian  sympathy,  met  me  on  my 
way,  and  known  the  distressed  state  of  my  poor  soul,  they 
would  have  pitied  me  in  their  heart.  At  this  meeting  I  took 
my  seat  in   the  gallery  with  fear  and  trembling.      Whan   I 

6 


62 

thought  it  right  to  speak,  and  stood  up,  Nicholas  Wain  look- 
ed at  me  as  though  he  would  look  me  through,  but  I  went  on 
with  my  communication,  to  the  relief  of  my  own  mind,  and 
the  satisfaction  of  Friends.  In  the  meeting  for  business,  when 
the  third  query  and  its  answer  came  up,  I  made  some  remarks, 
using  strong  expressions,  and  whether  it  alarmed  the  old  na- 
tive of  Bucks,  who  stood  by  me  the  preceding  day,  or  not,  I 
cannot  say,  but  he  immediately  arose  and  informed  the  meet- 
ing who  1  was.  When  Jonathan  Evans  said  the  young  man 
was  an  entire  stranger  to  him,  but  he  had  unity  with  his  spirit. 
''  So  have  I — so  have  I,"  responded  something  like  twenty 
voices  along  the  galleries,  and  in  different  parts  of  the  meet- 
ing. After  meeting,  Friends  manifested  great  kindness,  and  I 
went  immediately  home,  I  think,  upon  the  whole,  substantially 
benefitted  by  the  severe  probation. 

This  incidental  circumstance  increased  my  danger,  by  giving 
me  a  notoriety  and  popularity  I  certainly  never  merited.  Be- 
fore this,  when  I  went  to  Philadelphia,  1  could  hardly  find  any 
other  home  than  a  public  house ;  but  now  the  greatest  difficul- 
ty I  had,  was  to  know  what  Friend's  house  to  go  to,  so  many 
seemed  to  want  me.  Besides  I  unfortunately  discovered  that 
I  had  a  higher  standing  amongst  the  respectable  inhabitants 
of  Bucks  county,  than  1  had  expected,  for  some  of  them  re- 
sented the  treatment  I  met  with  from  William  Sansom,  by  a 
notice  of  it  at  the  public  coffee-house  in  the  city. 

In  the  spring  of  1813,  I  laid  before  Middletown  Monthly 
Meeting  a  prospect  to  travel  as  a  minister,  and  obtained  a 
minute  expressive  of  the  unity  of  that  meeting,  to  visit  the 
meetings  belonging  to  Philadelphia  and  Abington  quarters. 
The  utmost  extent  would  be  something  like  one  hundred  and 
sixty  miles. 

1  now  come  to  that  part  of  my  narrative  where  T  shall  be 
under  the  necessity  of  recording  some  views  that  I  think  have 
lately  been  given  me  with  great  clearness,  and  will  be  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  generally  received  opinions  among  Friends  and 
others. 

In  a  retrospect  of  my  past  life,  that  part  of  it  spent  in  tra- 
velling as  a  Gospel  minister,  which  was  not  in  accordance  with 
the  example  of  our  most  Holy  Head,  set  before  us  in  the 
holy  mount,  yields  but  little  satisfaction;  and  I  verily  believe 
in  every  instance  where  I  exceeded  or  went  beyond  his  exam- 


68 

pie,  I  liad  better  stayed  at  home.  Paul  was  not  altogether 
mistaken  when  he  recommended  the  promulgators  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  his  day,  to  follow  his  example  and  remain  unmarried; 
but  admitted  there  might  be  instances  where  it  would  be  bet- 
ter to  marry;  such  I  conceive  were  embraced  in  another  com- 
mandment of  Paul's,  and  a  testimony  of  the  primitive  saints  : 
"Study  to  be  quiet  and  do  your  own  business,  and  work  with 
your  own  hands  that  you  may  provide  things  honest  in  the 
sight  of  all  men,  and  that  you  may  lack  nothing,  for  he  that 
will  not  thus  provide  for  his  own  household,  denies  the  faith 
and  is  worse  than  an  infidel/'  Hence  it  appears  clear  to  me  that 
the  primitive  Christians  would  have  considered  that  every 
young  man,  who  was  a  minister,  as  well  as  others  that  got 
married  and  brought  the  object  of  their  love  into  the  difficulty  of 
raising  a  family  of  children,  were  bound  by  every  principle  of 
honor  and  justice  to  stay  with  them,  and  assist  in  the  arduous 
work  or  business  of  bringing  them  up,  and  in  making  a 
reasonable  provision  for  their  comfort.  How  then  can  I  justi- 
fy a  part  of  my  own  conduct,  who,  in  addition  to  leaving  my 
poor  feeble  wife,  to  struggle  with  complicated  difficulties,  bor- 
rowed my  friend's  money,  promising  to  pay  in  a  given  time, 
with  legal  interest,  from  the  date  thereof,  then  started  off  a 
travelling  as  a  preacher,  to  be  waited  upon,  flattered,  and  fed 
upon  the  best  m}'-  friends  could  provide  for  me,  thus  scj[uan- 
dering  other  people's  money,  and  idling  away  that  time,  that, 
in  one  sense,  properly  belonged  to  my  creditors. 

Now  it  would  have  made  the  thing  better,  if,  like  the  hon- 
est, industrious  Paul,  I  had  worked  at  my  trade  a  part  of  the 
time,  so  as  not  only  to  pay  my  own  expenses,  but  to  send 
something  home  to  my  wife,  and  to  my  creditors ;  but  this 
old  fashioned  honest}^  has   long  been  entirely  out  of  fashion. 

If  then,  I  have  so  poor  an  opinion  of  some  of  my  own  conduct, 
connected  with  travelling  as  a  preacher,  what  must  I  think  of 
a  brother,  but  a  little  older  than  myself,  of  whom,  I  think,  it 
will  be  safe  to  say,  that  since  he  has  been  an  acknowledged 
minister  in  the  society,  he  has  never  done  work  enough  with 
his  own  hands  to  pay  the  expense  of  raising  one  of  his  child- 
ren as  they  ought  to  be.  His  first  wife,  if  I  am  not  mistaken, 
had  to  struggle  with  poverty,  sickness  and  death,  leaving  a 
large  family  of  helpless  children,  while  he  was  absent  travelling 
as  a  preacher.    But  even  this  dispensation  of  affliction,  appeared 


64 

to  be  but  little  impediment  in  tbe  way  of  his  missionary  la- 
bors, for  in  his  travels  he  soon  found  another  wife,  twenty 
years  younger  than  himself,  by  whom  he  had  another  flock  of 
cliildren,  making  in  the  whole  somewhere  between  fifteen  and 
twenty  children.  Now  if  he  never  worked  enough  with  his 
own  hands  to  raise  one  child,  I  wonder  what  the  apostle  Paul 
would  have  thought  of  such  a  man,  if  he  had  met  with  him, 
about  the  time  he  wrote  his  second  epistle  to  the  Thessalo- 
nians.  (See  the  3d  chapter,  from  the  6th  to  the  12th  verses.) 
Would  not  Paul  have  withdrawn  from  such  a  man,  as  a  dis- 
orderly person  ?  I  think  he  would.  But  as  this  man  does 
not  belong  to  the  same  part  of  society  that  I  do,  perhaps  I 
had  better  let  him  alone  and  confine  myself  a  little  more  to 
my  own  conduct,  and  the  ministers  in  unity  with  me.  Suffice 
it  to  say  what  I  verily  believe,  it  would  have  been  more  con- 
sistent with  the  example  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  for  him,  as 
well  as  myself,  to  have  staid  more  at  home  and  attended  more 
strictly  to  those  social  and  relative  duties,  that  characterize  the 
practical  Christian,  and  set  a  better  example  to  some  of  those 
restless,  roving  ministers,  who  are  in  a  fair  way  to  split  upon 
the  same  rock.  Oh  !  that  these  could  keep  a  more  single  eye 
to  the  precepts  and  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  who,  although 
he  could  walk  on  the  water,  the  utmost  extent  of  his  journey 
did  not  much  exceed  one  hundred  miles.  And,  oh  !  that  they 
could  especially  consider  that  he  walked  in  the  path  of  humble 
industry,  for  it  appears  clear  to  me  that  from  twelve  years  old 
to  twenty  he  was  subject  to  his  parents,  and  worked  with  his 
own  hands,  at  the  highly  honorable  and  useful  trade  of  a  car- 
penter, and  from  twenty  to  thirty,  his  reputed  father  being 
dead,  he  continued  the  business  for  the  support  of  his  mother 
and  her  family.  And  during  the  three  years  of  his  glorious 
ministry,  I  have  no  idea  that  he  spent  all  his  time  without  working 
with  his  own  hands,  for  his  mother  still  claimed  bis  care  because 
she  was  poor,  as  to  this  world,  and,  like  her  son,  had  not  where 
to  lay  her  head ;  he  therefore  commended  her  in  the  hour  of 
death  to  his  beloved  John,  who,  from  that  hour  took  her  to  his 
own  home. 

How  few  ministers,  even  among  Friends,  are  willing  to  fol- 
low this  high  and  holy  example.  How  many  there  are  that 
keep  boarding  schools,  those  nurseries  of  pride  and  idleness. 
How  many  are  gentlemen  dentists,  and  charge  more  for  two  or 


65 

three  hours'  work,  than  a  poor  carpenter  could  get  for  a  week  or 
ten  days'  hard  labor.  How  many  are  living  idly,  on  usury  and 
oppressing  the  poor,  so  that  many  are  almost  ready  to  sink  in 
the  quicksands  of  despair. 

I  think  there  was  one  man  who  came  from  England  about 
twenty  years  ago  that  professed  to  be  the  friend  of  Christ,  and 
one  of  his  ministers,  yet  he  did  not  obey  his  commandments, 
nor  follow  him  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  for  he  worked 
not  at  all,  but  lived  entirely  on  usury.  Now  which  of  the  two 
characters  did  this  man  most  resemble,  the  humble,  industrious 
carpenter  of  Nazareth,  or  a  rich  Scribe  or  Pharisee,  that  would 
compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte,  and  when  he  was 
made,  make  him  two  fold  more  the  child  of  Hell  than  he  was. 
*'  Wo  unto  you  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites,  for  you  com- 
pass sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte,  and  when  he  is  made 
you  make  him  two-fold  more  the  child  of  hell  than  yourselves." 
From  this  awful  declaration  of  the  divine  Saviour,  I  conclude 
he  was  decidedly  opposed  to  the  missionary  spirit  of  the  Jews, 
because  they  made  their  proselytes  worse.  Now  it  appears 
from  history,  they  were  great  travellers,  and  had  founded  set- 
tlements in  every  province  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  had 
theological  seminaries  to  disseoiinate  their  principles.  Such 
was  the  state  of  apostate  Judaism — such  now  is  the  state  of 
apostate  Christendom. 

When  Grod  was  pleased  to  manifest  himself  in  the  fulness, 
and  present  to  a  world  of  intelligent  beings,  that  glorious  per- 
sonage called  Jesus  Christ,  such  was  the  light  and  pow*^r  of 
his  introduction  into  the  world,  that  the  angelic  host  proclaim- 
ed,"' Glory  to  God  in  the  highest  on  earth,  peace  and  good  will 
to  men."  An  emanation  from  this  light  and  power  drew  the 
wise  men  from  the  east,  to  worship  it.  Even  in  its  infancy, 
the  gradual  increase  of  this  light  and  power  was  secretly  oper- 
ating upoL  visited  souls,  in  all  nations  ;  for  the  time  had  come 
that  the  vision  of  the  Lord's  prophets,  four  hundred  years  be- 
fore, was  now  to  be  fulfilled,  ''  That  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's 
house  should  be  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and 
exalted  above  the  hills,  and  all  nations  should  flow  unto  it." 
Hence  it  appears  that  this  heavenly  light,  which  was  to  en- 
lighten the  Gentiles,  and  be  the  glory  of  the  Lsrael  of  GoD, 
was  to  draw  all  men  to  it.  This  was  the  king,  and  this  was 
the  kingdom  that  all  men  were  to  press  into.     And  although 

6* 


66 

the  outward  appearance  of  this  king,  was  the  person  of  an 
illiterate,  humble  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  who  suffered  the  ig- 
nominous  death  of  the  cross,  yet  his  fame  in  the  short  space  of 
three  years  had  so  spread  throughout  the  whole  Roman  Em- 
pire, that  Tiberias  Caesar  proposed  that  he  should  be  enrolled 
among  the  Roman  deities.  No  marvel,  then,  that  the  drawing 
cords  of  God's  love  to  a  fallen  world,  in  this  extraordinary 
personage,  should  have  drawn  devout  men  from  every  nation 
under  heaven  to  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  a  thousand  prophecies, 
and  the  theatre  of  action^  where  the  most  awful  and  tremend- 
ous tragedy  was  acted. 

I  have  travelled  considerably  in  several  States  of  the  Union, 
and  once  into  Canada,  and  I  now  verily  believe  for  the  most  part 
— with  the  exception  of  my  Canadian  journey — it  bad  been  bet- 
ter to  have  done  as  I  think  others  had  better  have  done,  learnt 
the  subjection  of  my  own  will  at  home,  endeavoring  to  be  a 
consistent  Christian  minister,  a  loving  and  faithful  husband,  an 
affectionate  father,  saying  daily  to  my  children,  in  the  silent 
but  powerful  language  of  example,  *' follow  me  as  I  follow 
Christ;"  in  a  word,  filling  up  with  propriety  all  the  social  and 
relative  duties  of  life  that  constitute  the  crown  and  diadem  of  a 
perfect  man,  and  in  order  to  this  essential  attainment  to  a  per- 
fect gospel  minister,  followed  my  blessed  Saviour  more  steadily, 
in  the  path  of  humble  industry.  I  should  then  have  never 
needed  the  assistance  of  my  friends  in  a  pecuniary  way,  a  cir- 
cumstance that  has  been  the  greatest  yoke  of  bondage  upon  my 
Christian  liberty,  caused  the  most  sleepless  nights  and  wearisome 
days,  and,  in  a  word,  the  most  heartfelt  sorrow  of  all  the  sins  I 
ever  committed.  And  0,  young  man,  especially  a  minister, 
who  may  read  this,  take  my  advice,  never  go  in  debt — never 
BORROW  money.  But  if  thou  doest,  be  sure  to  exert  thyself  to 
the  utmost  in  the  path  of  humble  industry  to  pay  the  utmost 
farthing ;  remembering  that  no  man  or  woman  can  ever  become 
the  child  of  God,  much  less  his  minister,  whilst  they  trample 
under  foot  with  impunity.  Justice,  one  of  his  divine  attributes. 

If  I  had  my  time  to  go  over  again  I  would  try  strictly  to 
obey  the  advice  in  our  excellent  discipline,  and  so  scrupulously 
live  within  the  bounds  of  my  circumstances,  that  if  I  earned  but 
twenty  cents  per  day  I  would  live  on  ten  or  fifteen.  Oh  !  this 
borrowing  money  and  then  borrowing  again  to  pay  the  interest, 
or  leaving  it  unpaid  until  the  avaricious  monster^  usury,  comes 
upon  the  poor  debtor  with  accumulated  ruin. 


67 

With  what  distressing  discouragement  I  have  sat  in  some  of 
our  large  meetings  and  counted  the  heads  of  my  creditors,  till  I 
found  myself  sinking  in  the  quicksands  of  despair.  But  oh  !  in 
the  depths  of  humility,  I  looked  to  a  Saviour.  Like  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  in  the  street  called  Strait,  I  fervently  prayed.  A  mer- 
ciful Saviour  heard  my  prayer,  and  sent  his  good  Ananias  to 
remove  the  scales  from  mine  eyes,  and  a  way  was  opened  where 
there  appeared  to  be  no  way,  and  I  was  plucked  out  of  the  hor- 
rible and  overwhelming  flood  that  was  carrying  me  to  destruc- 
tion, and  placed  on  the  bank  of  deliverance,  where  I  have  sung 
the  praises  of  my  dear  Redeemer ;  and  oh  !  that  I  may  continue 
to  ascribe  to  Him,  and  to  Him  alone,  thanksgiving  and  praise 
for  ever  and  ever.  I  will  here  give  my  views  of  the  instruments 
of  my  deliverance. 

I  think  the  concern  first  originated  with  dear  S.  W.,  a  lovely 
minister  of  the  everlasting  Grospel,  who  communicated  it  to  her 
father,  perhaps  while  she  lay  on  her  death  bed.  Doctor  J.  W., 
of  Buckingham,  was  a  man  who  embraced  in  his  character  the 
happy  compound  of  the  gentleman  and  the  Christian.  His  phi- 
lanthropic soul  prepared  him  immediately  to  communicate  the 
concern  of  his  dying  daughter  to  two  of  my  most  particular 
friends,  who  entering  in  to  it  most  seriously,  like  Ananias  came 
to  me,  saying  that  the  Lord  Jesus  had  sent  them,  and  that  they 
believed  it  to  be  their  religious  duty  to  assist  me.  Having  the 
fullest  confidence  in  their  high  and  holy  profession,  I  opened 
myself  by  degrees  to  them,  when  they  adopted  the  plan  of  ap- 
plying to  some  of  my  rich  relatives  in  New  York,  who  most 
kindly  advanced  liberally  to  them,  especially  I.  H.  and  S.  H. 

I  am  certainly  under  great  obligations,  as  they  acted,  I  hope, 
in  obedience  to  Christ's  commandment,  ''Make unto  yourselves 
friends  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  that  when  ye  fail 
they  may  receive  you  into  everlasting  habitations."  So  they 
are  received  into  my  heart,  or  never  dying  soul,  and  while  mem- 
ory remains,  not  only  they,  but  their  children's  children,  shall 
be  had  in  grateful  remembrance.  Many  other  dear  friends 
manifested  great  kindness  and  sympathy. 

I.  H.  died  soon  after  my  acquaintance  with  him ;  but  his 
brother  S.  continued  his  kind  correspondence  for  near  twenty 
years,  and  what  is  remarkable,  in  no  one  instance,  that  I  can 
recollect,  did  he  ever  intimate  that  I  was  under  the  least  obli- 
gation to  him.     Ah,  I  wish  I  could  say  so  of  all  others.     But 


68 

I  must  add  that  one  of  the  two  dear  friends  that  first  carae  to 
me  in  the  street  called  Strait,  to  enquire  after  me,  manifested 
the  same  noble,  disinterested  spirit;  but  he  is  now  gone  to  the 
eternal  world,  and  I  hope  to  meet  him  amongst  the  ransomed  in 
Jacob  and  the  redeemed  in  Israel. 

Dear  cousin  S.  H.  is  also  dead.  He  died  on  the  12th  of  the 
10th  month,  1837.  I  was  on  board  the  canal  boat  near  Pitts- 
burgh, in  company  with  his  brother  V.  and  his  wife,  on  our  re- 
turn from  Indiana  at  the  time. 

It  being  one  of  the  most  remarkable  circumstances  of  my  life, 
I  will  simply  state  the  fact  to  the  best  of  my  understanding. 

On  the  night  of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  I  was  quite  unwell, 
having  travelled  hard  the  preceding  day  in  order  to  take  the 
boat  at  Pittsburgh.  I  doubted  then,  and  still  continue  to  doubt 
the  propriety  of  that  journey,  and  my  spirits  as  well  as  my  health 
were  suifering.  But  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  ray  poor  de- 
jected soul  was  preciously  visited  with  the  quickening  presence 
of  my  blessed  Saviour,  when  the  spirit  of  prayer  flowed  like  that 
river  which  proceeds  from  the  thresh  hold  of  the  throne  of  Godj 
and  spreads  through  the  heritage  of  his  Son,  unlimited  as  eter- 
nity; — and  as  my  manner  of  devotional  exercise,  when  thus  fa- 
vored, was,  and  still  is,  to  pray  fervently  for  myself  first,  that 
my  faith  and  love  for  my  blessed  Saviour  might  be  increased, 
that  I  might  be  more  and  more  dedicated  and  preserved  to  do 
his  will,  and  then  those  who  are  the  nearest  and  dearest  to  me 
in  the  circle  of  my  acquaintance — hence  my  wife  and  children 
and  nearest  and  dearest  friends,  especially  those  that  are  sick 
and  sufi"ering  ;  and  then  the  mind  being  thus  quickened  and 
made  fruitful  in  the  house  of  prayer,  secretly  supplicates  for 
the  suffering  seed  throughout  the  world.  Whilst  thus  solemnly 
encaged,  when  I  came  to  my  dear  cousin  S.  H.  I  felt  something 
like  an  awful  pause,  and  a  small  still  voice  seemed  to  address 
the  ear  of  my  soul,  saying,  ''  He  has  gone  to  the  eternal  world." 
I  cannot  find  language  that  possesses  force  suflBcient  to  describe 
my  feelings.  Suffice  it  to  say  I  was  almost  as  certain  that  he 
was  dead,  as  if  I  had  heard  it  from  a  special  messenger  sent  to 
inform  thereof.  We  had  heard  on  the  evening  of  the  10th,  by 
a  letter  from  New  York,  that  he  was  sick,  and  when  we  arrived 
at  Lancaster,  being  detained  in  consequence  of  some  deficiency 
in  the  line,  cousin  Y.  soon  came  to  me  with  a  Philadelphia  pa- 
per in  his  hand,  and  the  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  saying, 


69 

in  broken  accents,  ''here  it  is,  brother  S.  is  dead."  Y/s  com- 
munication scarcely  moved  me,  for  I  was  prepared  for  it. 

As  an  American  merchant,  he  had  few  equals ;  and  perhaps 
none  stood  higher  in  England  and  on  the  continent  of  Europe. 
His  wife  died  a  few  years  before  him,  a  tender,  lovely  woman. 
In  them  I  lost  two  of  my  best  friends. 

Having  been  led  off  of  the  regular  channel  of  narrative,  and 
wandered  a  little  into  peculiar  and  favorite  views  respecting 
missionary  travelling,  I  must  return  again  to  1813. 

Soon  after  my  first  travelling  as  an  acknowledged  minister,  I 
was  evidently  slipping  into  the  popular  current,  when  another 
severe  shock  was  permitted  to  come  upon  me.  I  was  still  a 
member  of  Middletown  Monthly  and  Particular  meeting,  where 
there  were  three  or  four  other  ministers,  and  living  as  near 
"Wrightstown,  then  the  largest  meeting  in  the  quarter,  and  no 
minister  there  that  was  able  to  attend,  I  consulted  some  of  our 
elders  as  to  the  propriety  of  my  attending  that  meeting,  as  way 
should  open.  They  encouraged  me  to  attend  to  the  concern, 
and  I  went,  where  I  was  placed  at  the  head  of  a  very  large 
meeting. 

The  almost  peculiar  kindness  of  friends  and  others  was  fan- 
ning my  native  vanity  into  a  flame,  while  a  secret  conspiracy 
was  forming  in  the  select  Preparative  Meeting  of  Middletown 
against  me,  and  which  broke  out  in  the  next  sitting  of  that 
meeting.  I  have  thought  it  originated  with  two  ministers  who 
had  the  seeds  of  orthodoxy — jealousy  and  envy — then  in  them. 
They  made  use  of  ray  dear  old  father,  William  Blakey,  as  a  kind 
of  catspaw.  It  was  a  distressing  time,  and  I  think  I  defended 
myself  more  like  a  soldier  than  a  Christian.  The  select  meeting, 
composed  of  about  ten  or  twelve  men  and  women,  were  almost 
equally  divided,  and  if  I  remember  right  broke  up  somewhat 
confusedly,  and  upon  the  whole  it  was  rather  a  disreputable 
concern.  My  good  old  spiritual  father  was  so  hurt  with  his 
own  conduct,  and  that  of  some  others,  that  his  son  told  me  he 
could  neither  eat  nor  sleep  till  he  had  another  interview  with  me, 
which  took  place  at  the  house  of  an  elder,  in  the  absence  of  the 
two  orthodox  ministers  above  alluded  to.  Here  the  father  and 
son  were  reconciled,  and  he  continued  his  fatherly  affection  as 
long  as  he  lived.  But  the  treatment  I  had  met  with — notwith- 
standing I  might  have  deserved  it — and  the  evident  derange- 
ment in  the  unity  of  Middletown  meeting,  almost  overset  me. 


70 

I  thouglit  I  was  now  done  forever,  and  seemed  almost  disposed 
to  sink  into  a  gloomy  melancholy,  when  it  seemed  impressed 
upon  my  mind  to  leave  them  and  go  to  Wrightstown  altogether. 
My  wife  uniting  with  me,  we  spoke  for  our  certificates  of  remo- 
val. The  overseers  expressed  their  sorrow  that  I  was  going  to 
leave  them,  and  my  few  opposers  tried  to  stop  my  certificate 
by  such  improper  measures  as  ended  in  their  own  trouble  of 
mind. 

About  this  time  the  settlement  of  a  Friend's  meeting  in  Xew- 
town  was  much  talked  of.  The  courts  of  justice  were  removed 
and  the  public  buildings  were  vacant.  There  were  by  this  time 
several  families  of  Friends  in  the  town  and  its  vicinity,  and  a 
considerable  number  in  the  country  round  about ;  but  they  be- 
longed to  three  different  monthly  meetings,  Wrightstown,  Mid- 
dletown,  and  the  Falls.  Of  course  the  application  to  hold  an 
indulged  meeting  for  worship  in  the  old  Court  House,  which  was 
rented  for  that  purpose,  on  first  and  third  day  mornings  for  six 
months,  was  made  to  all  three  of  those  meetings.  The  request 
was  granted,  and  committees  appointed  to  have  the  care  thereof 
for  six  months,  from  the  1st  day  in  the  4th  month,  1815. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  Newtown  meeting.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  the  first  six  months  the  application  was  renewed  for  six 
and  twelve  months  more,  and  before  that  expired,  application 
was  made  for  b,  jyrejnirative  meeting,  to  be  a  branch  of  Wrights- 
town monthly  meeting,  and  permission  to  build  a  new  meeting 
house.  After  meeting  with  some  opposition,  it  finally  received 
the  sanction  of  the  quarter ;  and  here  I  would  pleasantly  notice 
what  I  have  often  pleasantly,  and  I  hope  innocently  told.  Our 
opposers,  though  few  in  number,  tried,  as  a  last  subterfuge,  to 
alarm  the  Quarterly  meeting,  by  stating  that  the  Quarterly 
meeting  would  become  responsible  for  any  expense  that  Friends 
of  Newtown  might  please  to  go  to,  if  they  granted  them  per- 
mission to  build.  As  spokesman  for  my  friends  I  arose  and 
addressed  the  meeting  in  substance  as  follows  :  "  Friends  of 
Newtown  ask  no  pecuniary  favore  of  Bucks  quarterly  meeting 
or  any  other  meeting.  We  are  willing  and  entirely  able  to 
build  the  house  ourselves.  We  only  want  the  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace."  What  constitutes  the  peculiarity 
and  singularity  of  this  declaration,  the  man  that  made  it  was 
perhaps  not  worth  one  cent  if  his  debts  were  paid.  But  I  was 
present  when  seven  rich  Friends  pledged  themselves  to  build  the 
house. 


71 

I  will  here  advert  again  to  the  causes  of  my  pecuniary  em- 
barrassments. 

In  addition  to  a  constitutional  weakness,  I  quit  the  only  busi- 
ness I  understood,  and  for  which  I  had  a  capacity,  viz.  paint- 
ing, for  the  business  of  a  farmer,  which  I  did  not  understand, 
and  for  which  I  had  no  qualifications  whatever.  I  verily  thought 
then,  and  still  think,  farming  more  consistent  with  the  Chris- 
tian, and  was  willing  to  sacrifice  all  my  fondness  for  painting. 
But  it  would  not  do,  for  notwithstanding!  worked  hard,  I  went 
behind  hand  daily.  The  cruel  moth  of  usury  was  eating  up  ray 
outward  garment,  soon  to  expose  me  a  poor  naked  bankrupt ; 
for  my  father,  who  I  thought  had  given  me  forty  acres  of  laud 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  village,  altered  his  mind  and  took  it  from 
me,  leaving  me  with  only  twenty  acres,  for  which  I  had  given 
eighty-six  dollars  per  acre  at  public  sale,  and  which  I  had  to 
sell  for  forty  dollars.     Thus  ended  my  farming  speculation. 

If  the  Christian  world  was  in  the  real  spirit  of  Christ,  I  do 
not  believe  there  would  be  such  a  thing  as  a  fine  painter  in 
Christendom.  It  appears  clearly  to  me  to  be  one  of  those  tri- 
fling, insignificant  arts,  which  has  never  been  of  any  substantial 
advantage  to  mankind.  But  as  the  inseparable  companion  of 
voluptuousness  and  pride,  it  has  presaged  the  downfall  of  em- 
pires and  kingdoms ;  and  in  my  view  stands  now  enrolled  among 
the  premonitory  symptoms  of  the  rapid  decline  of  the  American 
Republic.  But  there  is  something  of  importance  in  the  exam- 
ple of  the  primitive  Christians  and  primitive  Quakers,  to  mind 
their  callings  or  business,  and  work  with  their  own  hands  at 
such  business  as  they  are  capable  of,  avoiding  idleness  and  fa- 
naticism. Had  I  my  time  to  go  over  again  I  think  I  would 
take  the  advice  given  me  by  my  old  friend  Abraham  Chapman, 
a  shrewd,  sensible  lawyer  that  lived  with  me  about  the  time  I 
was  quitting  painting;  "  Edward,  thee  has  now  the  source  of 
independence  within  thyself,  in  thy  peculiar  talent  for  painting. 
Keep  to  it,  within  the  bounds  of  innocence  and  usefulness,  and 
thee  can  always  be  comfortable.'^ 

The  apostle  Paul  exhorted  the  primitive  believers  to  be  con- 
tent with  their  outward  situation,  even  if  they  were  slaves,  and 
the  primitive  Quakers  seemed  to  manifest  the  same  spirit,  only 
choosing,  as  Paul  says,  their  liberty  the  rather.  As  to  the  call- 
ing or  business  by  which  they  got  their  living,  Thomas  Elwood 
informs  us  a  particular  friend  of  his  was  a  barber,  and  followed 


72 

dressing  noblemen's  heads.  And  from  my  own  observation  and 
experience,  I  am  rather  disposed  to  believe  that  too  many  of 
those  conscientious  difficulties  about  our  outward  calling  or 
business  that  we  have  learned  as  a  trade  to  get  our  living  by, 
which  are  in  themselves  honest  and  innocent,  have  originated 
more  in  fanaticism  than  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

Being  forced  as  it  were  to  return  to  painting,  though  with 
spirits  and  constitution  somewhat  impaired,  friends  and  others 
most  kindly  patronized  me,  and  the  county  and  township  officers 
gave  me  a  considerable  number  of  directors  or  index  boards  to 
paint,  which  to  me  was  a  profitable  job.  But  working  too 
steadily,  day  and  night,  whilst  my  bodily  health  was  delicate, 
brought  on  an  affection  of  my  lungs,  with  all  the  symptoms  of 
pulmonary  consumption.  In  this  situation  the  Heavenly  Shep- 
herd in  mercy  and  goodness  laid  upon  me  a  concern  to  travel, 
first  to  the  South  in  the  spring,  and  in  the  autumn  to  the  North, 
in  New  York  and  Canada.  In  these  journeys  I  rode  near  3000 
miles  on  horseback,  which  I  am  disposed  to  believe  was  the 
cause  of  changing  the  nature  of  my  complaint  from  pulmonary 
to  long  consumption  or  chronic  cough. 

As  a  short  account  of  my  Northern  journey  may  be  interest- 
ing, I  will  try  to  state  some  facts,  (though  I  have  told  some  of 
the  anecdotes  so  often  that  perhaps,  being  a  painter,  I  may  have 
added  to  them  a  little  fresh  color  at  times.) 

I  left  home  on  the  4th  of  9th  month,  1819,  in  company  with 
Isaac  Parry,  an  elder  of  Abington  quarter,  and  Mathias  Hutch- 
inson, an  amiable  young  man  of  Bucks  quarter,  and  travelled 
through  the  northern  part  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  western  part 
of  New  York  State.  Our  first  meeting  in  New  l^ork  State  was 
at  Bath,  the  county  town  of  Steuben.  We  arrived  in  the  eve- 
ning, and  put  up  at  a  very  respectable  tavern. 

When  my  friends  consulted  the  landlord  and  some  of  the 
chief  men  of  the  village  as  to  the  propriety  of  having  a  meeting 
in  the  Court  House  next  day  at  eleven  o'clock,  they  entered 
cheerfully  into  the  concern,  particularly  a  Doctor  C.,  and  notice 
was  given.  I  have  but  little  recollection  as  to  the  size  of  the 
meeting,  but  my  impression  is  it  was  a  dull,  lifeless  concern  on 
my  part,  and  did.  not  add  any  thing  to  the  advancement  of 
truth.  But  it  appeared  that  my  friends  and  others  thought 
differently,  and  the  Doctor  was  quite  astonished  that  I  should 


73 

Lave  prepared  a  sermon  so  suitable  to  the  congregation ^  in  so 
short  a  time.  But  when  he  was  told  that  it  was  neither  studied 
nor  prepared,  his  astonishment  increased  wonderfully.  The 
greatest  difficulty  we  had  was  with  the  landlord,  who  refused 
to  receive  any  pay  for  our  entertainment.  But  after  stating 
that  our  principles  led  us  conscientiously  to  pay,  he  very  reluc- 
tantly received  pay  for  our  horses,  and  my  two  companions,  but 
refused  positively  to  receive  any  thing  for  entertaining  the 
preacher. 

Our  nest  meeting  was  a  monthly  meeting,  held  at  Farming- 
ton,  Ontario  county.  It  was  composed,  I  think,  of  seven  prepa- 
rative meetings,  and  lasted  from  eleven  o'clock  until  sundown. 
If  I  remember  right,  it  was  an  interesting  meeting,  and  conduc- 
ted with  a  good  degree  of  harmony.  From  this  meeting  notice 
went  on  nearly  a  hundred  miles  towards  Canada,  to  the  meetings 
in  the  new  settlements.  Notice  was  likewise  given  of  our  being 
at  Farmington  on  First  day,  in  consequence  of  which  much  peo- 
ple got  together,  and  I  fear  I  preached  too  much.  Notwith- 
standing, it  was  thought,  even  by  my  friends,  to  be  a  great  meet- 
ing. But  if  I  remember  right,  our  Saviour  s  language  might 
best  describe  my  labors:  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  suffered 
violence,  and  the  violent  took  it  by  force. '^ 

We  had  a  meeting  on  Second  day  evening  at  Rochester,  six- 
teen miles  on  our  way,  after  which  I  saw  and  felt  the  symptoms 
of  an  approaching  storm  among  Friends.  A  minister  and  his 
brother  seemed  disposed  to  cavil  about  speculative  doctrines. 
Next  day  we  went  to  Kaga,  about  twenty  miles  in  a  new  settle- 
ment, and  put  up  at  the  house  of  the  principal  man,  who  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  The  meeting  was  appointed  at  three 
o'clock,  about  which  time  Friends  and  others  assembled,  and  it 
is  said  I  was  led  to  speak  of  man,  in  his  unredeemed  state,  be- 
ing as  much  disposed  to  fight  as  a  dog,  and  that  it  was  even 
possible  that  when  those  animals  get  to  fighting,  that  their 
masters  would  follow  their  example,  and  after  degrading  them- 
selves to  the  level  of  the  brute,  would  manifest  the  spirit  of  the 
Devil,  by  sueing  at  the  law.  I  have  no  recollection  myself 
what  I  said,  but  I  was  told  by  my  friends  afterwards  that  the 
magistrate  with  whom  we  dined,  and  one  of  his  neighbors,  had 
been  fighting  in  consequence  of  their  dogs  fighting,  and  were 
then  at  law  with  each  other. 

We  had  meetings  at  Shelby,  Hartland;   Stateland;  and  Boy- 
7 


74 

alton  ;  and  travelled  mostly  on  the  ridge  road,  as  great  a  curi- 
osity almost  as  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  and  turning  to  the  right 
and  left  into  the  new  settlements,  either  between  Raga  and 
Shelby,  or  Shelby  and  Hartland,  we  passed  through  a  new 
small  town  or  village,  on  the  ridge  road,  called  Sandy  Creek ; 
where  the  yellow  fever  was  more  destructive  according  to  the 
number  of  inhabitants,  than  it  ever  was  in  Philadelphia  or  New 
York.  It  was  about  noon,  and  we  stopped  at  the  first  tavern, 
where  the  landlord  had  just  breathed  his  last.  We  went  to  the 
next,  which  appeared  uninhabited.  The  third  had  taken  down 
their  sign,  and  were  too  sick  to  give  us  a  dinner.  We  then  saw 
a  man  we  took  to  be  a  miller.  He  appeared  to  be  a  walking 
corpse,  as  yellow  almost  as  saffron.  He  told  us  nearly  all  the 
people  of  the  place  were  either  sick  or  dead,  and  we  would  have 
to  go  about  four  miles  to  the  next  tavern,  where  we  might  get 
dinner. 

Our  meetings  at  Hartland  and  Royalton  are  distinctly  re- 
membered— the  first  for  the  remarkable  favor  of  the  divine 
presence,  which  melted  us  all  into  tenderness  and  love.  The 
second  was  remarkable  for  an  extraordinary  person  that  attend- 
ed it.  As  soon  as  I  arose  to  speak,  a  man  kneeled,  and  re- 
mained on  his  knees,  in  perfect  silence,  if  I  mistake  not,  till  I 
finished  my  communication,  when  he  took  his  seat,  and  after  a 
solemn  silence,  arose  and  addressed  the  meeting,  in  an  eloquent, 
solemn,  acd  affecting  manner;  stating  the  difficulties  he  had 
met  with,  and  the  great  distance  he  had  come,  which  I  think 
was  more  than  twenty  miles,  to  attend  that  meeting,  and  thank- 
fulness he  felt  for  the  favor.  As  soon  as  meeting  ended,  he 
went,  as  I  thought,  right  off,  without  speaking  to  any  body ; 
and  I  did  not  understand  that  any  one  knew  him,  or  from 
whence  he  came,  or  whither  he  went.  His  looks  were  those  of 
a  superior  man,  but  his  clothing  was  very  indifferent. 

Next  day  we  crossed  the  Niagara  at  Lewistown,  and  ascended 
Queenston  Heights,  and  rode  seven  miles  to  the  great  Falls ; 
where,  putting  up  our  horses  and  speaking  for  our  suppers  and 
lodgings,  we  went  to  see  the  mighty  wonder  of  the  world. 
Since  we  left  Rochester  we  had  an  addition  to  our  company  of 
a  young  man  who  was  travelling  for  his  health.  On  returning 
from  the  Falls  to  our  inn,  being  cold  and  wet,  we  requested  to 
have  fire  in  our  room ;  but  no  notice  was  paid  to  our  request. 
The  landlord  was  from  home,  and  had  left  a  young  man  to  su- 


75 

perintend  his  business,  who  appeared  very  sour.  This,  with  the 
bad  language  we  heard  in  the  house,  made  us  feel  unpleasant, 
and  to  increase  our  difficulty,  our  fellow  traveller,  who  was  a 
native  of  Vermont,  began  to  manifest  a  warlike  spirit ;  and  even 
our  friend  I.  P.  appeared  to  be  much  displeased,  whilst  he 
walked  across  the  room  and  talked  of  not  putting  up  with  such 
treatment,  but  of  going  to  Chippewa,  where  he  had  been  advised 
to  go.  In  this  dilemma  I  proposed  trying  kind  words,  for  the 
wise  man  says  it  will  turn  away  wrath;  and  as  the  young  man 
came  by  us,  I  said,  pleasantly,  "  young  man,  art  thou  an  Eng- 
lishman?'' He  answered  very  short,  *'No,  sir/'  I  added, 
^'  what  countryman  art  thou  V  "  I  am  a  Swede."  "  Ah,'' 
said  I,  "  that  will  do ;  the  Swedes  are  the  most  hospitable,  hon- 
est people  in  the  world,  and  I  trust  this  young  man  will  not 
contradict  his  national  character/'  This  I  spoke  loud  enough 
for  him  to  hear  me,  and  the  change  it  made  in  his  conduct  to- 
wards us  was  astonishing.  He  made  us  a  fire  immediately,  had 
us  an  excellent  supper,  waited  on  us  politely,  and  gave  us  the 
best  room,  and  perhaps  the  best  beds ;  in  which,  with  the  roar- 
ing of  the  Falls  and  the  shaking  of  the  house,  we  were  soon 
sung  and  rocked  to  sleep. 

My  Green  Mountain  companion  was  quite  disposed  to  rally 
me,  saying  Pennsylvanians  talked  about  Yankee  tricks,  but 
what  should  he  call  my  management  of  the  Swede  ? 

On  our  way  to  Young  Street,  more  than  a  hundred  miles  in 
the  interior  of  the  Province,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day's 
journey,  we  travelled  on  the  margin  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  the 
deep  dry  sand  tired  our  horses,  as  well  as  ourselves,  so  much 
that  we  had  to  put  up  at  night  at  a  poor  little  tavern  near  the 
outlet  of  Burlington  Bay ;  and  to  increase  the  inconvenience 
many  people  were  there  fishing  at  the  outlet.  We  were  all  very 
tired,  but  our  friend  I.  P.  was  almost  overcome,  being  too  heavy  a 
man  to  travel  on  horseback.  While  supper  was  preparing,  an 
inquisitive  man  asked  me  where  we  were  travelling?  I  told  him 
to  Young  Street.  He  asked  if  we  were  going  to  buy  land?  I 
told  him  no,  we  were  going  to  visit  our  friends.  He  then  asked 
if  there  were  any  preachers  among  us?  1  told  him  there  was 
one,  and  looked  towards  Isaac  Parry,  who  sat  with  his  eyes 
fchut,  apparently  taking  no  notice.  There  was  something  pe- 
culiarly solemn  and  dignified  in  his  appearance,  and  the  man 
looked  at  him  apparently  with  awe  and  respect ;  then  went  Qut' 


76 

into  the  bar-room,  and,  if  I  remember  rightly,  appeared  to  h^ 
talking  in  an  under  tone  about  the  Quaker  preacher,  which,  ex- 
citing their  curiosity,  there  was  considerable  whispering  and 
peeping  about  the  doors  and  windows.  Isaac  appeared  to  be 
unconscious  of  what  had  taken  place,  and  after  supper,  feeling 
refreshed,  he  walked  out  on  the  bank  of  the  lake,  and  noticed 
particularly  the  quiet  and  respectful  manner  in  which  the  fish- 
ermen carried  themselves  towards  him.  This  little  maneeuvre 
of  fixing  the  character  of  a  Quaker  preacher  on  by  far  the  most 
dignified  person  belonging  to  our  company,  appears  to  have  ope- 
rated in  our  favor ;  for  we  were  treated  with  kindness  and  re- 
spect, and  had  the  only  two  spare  beds  in  the  house,  the  rest 
sleeping  as  they  could  on  the  floor. 

On  our  way  from  Young  Street  to  York,  we  were  advised  to 
call  and  stay  a  night  with  an  old  man  whose  wife  was  a  member 
among  Friends.  When  we  arrived  at  the  place — it  was  a  dark 
day  in  the  latter  part  of  the  10th  month-~every  thing  appeared 
gloomy  about  the  premises ;  and  to  complete  the  black  picture;, 
when  we  went  in  the  house,  the  whole  family  appeared  dressed 
in  black,  and  nothing  like  Quakerism  to  be  seen  or  felt  among 
them.  However,  they  received  us  with  something  like  the  good 
old  English  hospitality.  The  old  man,  who  seemed  to  plume 
himself  on  being  of  the  same  age  of  King  George  the  Third, 
had  received  this  asylum  for  his  secret  services  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  And  I,  too,  soon  had  reason  to  suspect  ho 
was  the  very  man  that  led  or  conducted  the  blood  thirsty  Gene- 
ral Grey  to  the  massacre  at  Paoli.  Any  one  acquainted  with 
my  prejudices  against  the  English,  might  conclude  I  was  no-t 
very  comfortable;  but  had  they  seen  the  poor  old  man  hugging 
me,  when  he  was  told  by  Isaac  Parry  that  I  was  the  grandson 
of  his  good  old  tory  friend,  Judge  Hicks,  they  would  have  been 
quite  disposed  to  join  my  friend  Isaac  in  the  eujoymens  of  this 
scene. 

Next  morning  we  started  as  soon  as  it  was  light  for  York,  to 
meet  our  young  companions,  who  had  gone  on  the  night  before. 
We  found  the  old  man  up,  with  his  bottles  of  brandy,  kc,  in- 
sisting upon  our  taking  a  morning  dram  with  him  ;  but  we  de- 
clined his  superfluous  hospitality,  and  the  grandson  of  an  old 
tory  was  truly  glad  to  escape  another  embrace  from  this  patri- 
otic subject  of  his  Britannic  Majesty. 

On  our  way  to  Young  Street  wo  met  with  a  Methodist  miB- 


77 

ister,  who  knew  but  little  of  Friends ;  but,  finding  we  were  on 
a  religious  visit,  gave  us  an  invitation  to  have  a  meeting  in  a 
new  house  near  where  he  lived,  that  was  used  by  different  socie- 
ties. When  we  arrived  at  Young  Street,  and  were  making 
some  arrangements  for  appointed  meetings,  this  place  was  fixed 
upon  to  be  on  First  day  afternoon,  at  two  o'clock.  The  roads 
being  bad,  we  did  not  arrive  at  the  minister's  house  until  one 
o'clock,  and  found  no  body  at  home  but  children.  However, 
we  soon  found  a  good  barn,  and  plenty  for  our  horses.  The 
minister  and  his  wife  were  at  meeting,  which  was  within  sight, 
but  did  not  return  till  near  two  o'clock.  The  man  who  had  in- 
sisted upon  our  coming  to  his  house  for  dinner  seemed  pleased 
to  see  us,  but  I  thought  his  beautiful  wife  looked  cross  at  us. 
However,  she  soon  got  us  a  dish  of  tea  and  something  to  eat, 
while  her  husband  sung  and  talked.  For  my  part  I  was  so  dis- 
tressed about  the  meeting  I  could  neither  eat  nor  talk,  much 
less  sing,  and  therefore  walked  by  myself  towards  the  meeting 
house.  It  was  then  after  the  hour  appointed.  When  I  got  to 
the  house,  there  was  no  person  there.  It  was  cold,  and  the 
wind  and  snow  were  driving  through  the  weather-boards.  I 
do  not  know  that  I  ever  felt  more  wretched  in  a  meeting  house. 
After  a  while  the  people  began  to  assemble  in  a  scattering  man- 
ner, whispering  to  each  other,  while  I  was  the  object  of  all  their 
eyes.  My  friends,  with  the  Methodist  and  his  pretty  wife,  al- 
so came,  and  we  tried  to  get  still,  as  far  as  example  would  go, 
but  they  were  strangers  to  silence.  Notwithstanding  there  was 
something  like  a  pulpit,  I  took  my  seat  on  the  end  of  a  bench, 
where  I  continued  to  sit,  with  my  mind  apparently  stripped  of 
every  thing  that  was  good,  with  a  prospect  of  being  silent,  to 
which  I  soon  became  resigned,  and  was  thankful  that  I  could 
bear  my  testimony  silently  to  the  ever  blessed  truth.  Under 
the  influence  of  this  precious  quiet,  I  heard  the  word  of  com- 
mand to  stand  forth  in  the  midst,  and  stretch  out  my  withered 
arm,  and  I  soon  felt  the  restoring  power  of  the  Gospel.  The 
people  began  to  groan,  and  even  shout.  One  man  near  me,  I 
was  told,  cried  out  passionately,  ''  Oh  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  seal 
instruction  upon  our  souls  !  Halleluia  V  I  tried  to  persuade 
them,  for  my  sake,  to  try  to  be  still,  and  let  their  groanings  be 
like  those  the  apostle  spoke  of— too  big  to  be  uttered.  I  was 
led  to  speak  of  the  rights  of  women — that  they  were  one  in 
Christ  with  men,  and  entitled  to  equal  privileges,  and  that  I 


78 

had  heard  the  Gospel  preached  by  them,  in  greater  sweetness 
and  power,  than  I  had  ever  heard  from  the  lips  of  man.  There 
was  a  precious  silence  covered  the  meeting,  which  seemed  only 
interrupted  by  the  suppressed  weeping  of  some  of  the  women. 
After  the  meeting  ended,  our  kind  Methodist  friend  took  me  by 
the  hand  and  said,  in  substance,  "  Dear  brother,  you  ought  to 
preach  that  sermon  a  dozen  times  over.  Why  we  have  been 
contending  with  our  women  about  their  right  to  preach.''  This 
man  appeared  to  have  the  same  besetting  sin  with  myself — he 
was  too  light,  and  talked  too  much.  But  his  lovely  wife  ap- 
peared quite  changed,  and  could  not  talk  much. 

After  this  triumphant  meeting,  we  rode  four  miles  to  the 
best  tavern  on  the  Dundas  Street,  where  we  spent  the  evening 
most  agreeably.  The  next  day,  if  I  remember  right,  was  -a  day 
of  too  much  lightness,  and  of  course  the  meeting  we  had  in  the 
afternoon  was  rather  dull  and  insipid.  Alas  !  how  difficult  it 
is  for  me,  whose  besetting  sin  is  lightness  and  vanity,  to  keep 
sufficiently  humble,  or,  as  Dear  William  Dewsbury  expressed 
it  in  his  vsermon  1688,  "  When  I  have  done  the  will  of  the 
Lord,  wait  in  silent  patience  for  the  blessing  of  preservation." 
But  instead  of  this,  how  often  have  I,  after  a  favored  meeting, 
taken  the  jewels  of  Christ,  and  put  them  upon  cursed  self,  and 
thus  played  the  part  of  a  spiritual  harlot.  And  is  not  this  the 
fatal  rock  on  which  popular  preachers  split,  and  ruin  them- 
selves, and  scatter  the  flock  of  Christ  ?  Are  they  not,  too 
often,  more  concerned  for  their  own  reputation  as  preachers,  or 
the  reputation  of  the  society  to  which  they  belong,  than  they 
are  for  the  salvation  of  the  people  to  whom  they  profess  to  be 
sent. 

We  had  a  number  of  meetings  in  Canada,  and  all  I  can  say 
of  them  is,  than  when  ever  I  was  stript  of  my  own  covering, 
and  clothed  with  the  covering  of  this  holy  Spirit,  or  when,  like 
the  apostle,  I  knew  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ  and  him  cruci- 
fied,  I  preached  the  gospel,  and  the  people  were  edified  or  com- 
forted. But  when  ever  I  put  on  an  old  patched  garment,  part 
of  which  was  borrowed,  and  strutted  into  meeting  with  my 
second  hand  finery,  or  knew  so  many  pretty  texts  of  Scripture 
by  heart,  as  not  to  want  to  know  Christ  to  be  the  resurrection 
and  the  life,  my  preaching  was  vain  and  the  people's  belief  in 
it  was  vain,  and  like  priest,  like  people,  all  remained  in  sin 
agreeably  to  Paul's  doctrine;  "Except   Christ   be   risen,  our 


79 

preaching  is  vaioj  and  your  faith  is  vain,  and  you  arc  yet  in  your 
vsins."  Ah  !  dear,  precious  Paul,  I  wish  I  could  feel  that  holy 
fear  that  thou  didst,  when  thou  wast  concerned  to  keep  cursed 
self  und^r,  lest  while  thou  wast  preaching  to  others  thou  shouldst 
become  a  cast  away. 

We  crossed  the  Niagara  river  at  Black  Kock,  near  the  outlet 
of  Lake  Erie,  and  it  appeared  to  me  our  lives  were  in  jeopardy 
in  consequence  of  the  violence  of  the  wind  and  water.  The 
next  day  we  arrived  at  Batavia,  the  county  town  of  Grcnesee, 
where  dwelt  Joseph  Ellicott,  the  wealthy  agent  of  the  Holland 
Company.  It  was  said  that  he  was  a  member  of  our  society, 
although  he  made  no  appearance  of  a  Friend,  and  less  profession. 
We  arrived  in  town  a  little  before  noon,  and  put  up  at  a  good 
looking  tavern,  near  Joseph's  house,  and  my  friends  Isaac  Parry 
and  Mathias  Hutchinson,  went  to  see  him.  They  told  him 
that  Friends  of  Farmington  had  requested  them,  if  they  got  to 
Batavia,  and  should  think  it  right  to  have  a  meeting,  to  call  on 
Joseph  Ellicott,  who  was  a  man  of  influence,  and  would  give 
them  such  assistance  as  they  should  need,  and  that  they  were 
in  company  with  a  ministering  friend  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
wished  to  have  a  meeting  to-morrow  morning,  being  First  day. 
He  answered  them  as  roughly  as  Joseph  did  his  brethren  in 
Egypt,  saying  in  substance,  "  If  you  have  plenty  of  money  and 
want  to  buy  land  I  am  ready  to  wait  upon  you,  but  as  for  meet- 
ing business,  and  preaching  I  know  nothing  about  it;  and, 
besides,  our  court  house  is  undergoing  a  repair,  and  we  have 
no  place  to  hold  a  meeting,  and  it  would  be  pretty  high  to 
keep  these  people  waiting  till  Monday,  to  attend  to  your  busi- 
ness.'' I  think  it  is  quite  likely  my  friend  Isaac  felt  a  little  as 
he  did  at  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  when  he  gave  him  something 
like  the  following  short  but  spirited  answer :  ^'  We  do  not  wish 
to  put  thee  or  anybody  else  to  any  trouble  or  inconvenience, 
and  are  only  sorry  that  Friends  of  Farmington,  should  be  so 
mistaken  in  their  man.  We  will  therefore  bid  thee  farewell, 
and  pass  on."  My  friends  then  arose  from  their  seats  to  depart 
when  the  old  man  replied  in  substance:  stop,  stop,  this  won't 
do,  you  are  not  going  to  throw  the  responsibility  of  the  concern 
on  my  shoulders.  I  can't  submit  to  it;  I  must  see  if  the  Metho- 
dists can't  accommodate  you;  they  like  preaching  as  well  as 
any."  "  What  is  the  preacher's  name  ?"  My  name  was  then 
mentioned,  and  by  this  time  I  think  his  carriage  was  ready  for 


80 

him  at  the  door,  and  he  was  off,  notwithstanding  it  was  snow- 
ing, with  a  promise  that  he  would  call  on  us  directly. 

Mj  friends  returned  to  the  tavern,  but  did  not  inform  me  at 
that  time,  what  had  passed,  only  that  Joseph  Ellicott  was 
coming  over  to  see  me  directly.  And  soon  came  into  the  room 
a  very  large  man,  with  a  white  head,  and  a  blue  cloak,  and 
asked  for  me.  I  arose  to  speak  to  him  and  he  shook  hands  with 
me,  3ind  very  kindly  asked  us  all  to  come  and  dine  with  him. 
I  acknowledged  his  kindness,  but  informed  him  that  we  had 
spoken  for  our  dinners,  when  we  put  up  our  horses.  He  said 
we  might  leave  our  horses,  but  we  must  come  with  him,  and  he 
would  make  it  all  right.  We  went,  and  were  treated  with  the 
greatest  hospitality  and  kindness.  This  man  appeared  to  be 
one  of  the  better  sort  of  hypocrites,  pretended  the  worst,  and 
failed  at  the  bottom.  He  intended  to  do  all  he  could  for  us, 
while  he  was  carrying  himself  so  roughly.  He  had  ordered 
his  carriage  for  the  purpose  of  going  to  the  trustees  of  the 
Academy,  and  to  the  schools,  and  to  a  Methodist  minister,  that 
held  meeting  that  evening,  to  get  him  to  speak  of  a  Friends' 
meeting,  to  be  held  at  the  Academy  next  morning,  at  eleven 
o'clock.  All  this  appears  to  have  been  done  with  a  prompti- 
tude and  decision,  characteristic  of  a  perfect  man  of  business, 
before  he  invited  us  to  his  house. 

Next  morning  the  old  man  evidently  manifested  anxiety  about 
the  meeting,  more  especially  when  he  saw  so  many  respectable 
people  going,  and  he  spoke  to  my  friend  Isaac  Parry  to  tell  mo 
I  must  preach  that  day;  it  would  never  do  to  disappoint  so 
respectable  a  congregation.  Isaac  of  course  told  him  he  could 
not  comply  with  his  request.  The  poor  old  man  sighed  heavily, 
and  appeared  under  great  exercise,  frequently  whispering  to 
Isaac,  ''  Do  you  think  he  will  preach  ?  You  must  tell  him  he 
must."  We  went  to  meeting.  It  was  large,  and  composed  of 
the  most  respectable  inhabitants,  and  I  am  afraid  that  it  was 
only  the  personal  pronoun  /  that  preached.  That  is,  I  am 
afraid  I  did  not  preach  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord  and  myself  a 
servant  for  Christ's  sake;  and  what  seems  to  increase  my  fears 
the  old  man  was  mightily  pleased,  and  complimented  me  too 
much,  which  to  me  is  pretty  strong  evidence  that  he  was  not 
essentially  benefitted  by  what  was  said.  However,  my  friends 
thought  we  had  a  good  meeting. 

After  dinner  we  left  the  kind  old  man,  and  went  towards 


81 

Farmington,  taking  a  meeting  in  our  way  with  a  people  that 
called  themselves  Christians,  It  was  held  in  their  meeting 
house,  and  was  what  we  Quakers  would  call  a  good  silent  meet- 
ing, but  I  believe  the  people  were  a  good  deal  dissatisfied. 

I  think  we  were  at  another  monthly  meeting,  at  Farmington ; 
and  had  several  meetings  in  the  neighborhood,  and  on  our  way 
to  Scipio,  where  my  friend  Isaac  Parry  was  taken  sick,  with 
something  like  the  fever  we  met  with  on  the  Ridge  Road;  and 
I  have  always  been  sorry  that  I  parted  with  him,  although  he 
soon  got  well  enough  to  ride  home. 

I  had  now  no  other  companion  than  Mathias  Hutchinson,  an 
amiable,  and,  I  think,  excellent  young  man,  whose  kindness,  at- 
tention and  sympathetic  feelings,  I  hope  I  shall  ever  remember 
with  love  and  gratitude.  After  having  several  meetings  in  and 
about  Scipio,  we  went  to  Skaneateles,  to  the  house  of  a  supe- 
rior woman,  a  widow  and  minister,  where  we  spent  a  very  agree- 
able evening  in  company  with  her  worthy  old  father-in-law,  a 
highly  esteemed  elder,  from  the  neighborhood  of  New  York. 
In  some  of  the  conversation  of  this  excellent  man,  I  thought 
I  saw  and  felt  some  of  the  premonitory  symptoms  of  the  sor- 
rowful separation  that  was  about  to  take  place  in  society. 

Next  day  this  accomplished  woman  and  her  son,  went  with 
us  as  far  as  Manlius,  twenty-four  miles,  where  we  had  a  meet- 
ing appointed  in  a  Methodist  meeting-house,  for  next  day  at 
ten  o'clock,  which  was  the  darkest  morning  I  ever  saw.  I 
think,  if  I  remember  right,  we  had  two  or  three  candles  on  the 
breakfast  table,  at  nine  o'clock,  in  a  room  with  three  fifteen 
light  windows.  I  am  rather  disposed  to  believe  that  our  meet- 
ing was  a  poor  concern,  for  the  worthy  woman  kept  silent,  and 
my  sermon  was  of  such  a  character  that  I  have  reason  to  fear 
it  was  either  an  old  one,  or  a  horrowed  one,  for  the  Methodist 
minister  asked  me  for  a  copy  of  it  as  soon  as  meeting  broke  up. 
We  parted  with  our  kind  friends,  they  returning  home  and  we 
proceeding  on  our  journey,  wishing  to  get  to  Eastern  quarter, 
something  like  two  hundred  miles,  near  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont. 

After  travelling  from  among  Friends  for  two  days,  we  found  by 
pushing  on  pretty  smartly,  we  might  get  to  a  Friend's  house  in 
the  evening.  We  got  there  about  eight  o'clock,  the  night  be- 
ing cold,  windy  and  dark.  We  saw  light  in  the  window,  and 
called  so  loudly  as  to  make  them  hoist  the  window,  and  ask 


82 

wlio  was  there.  I  answered  we  are  weary  strangers  and  Friends 
that  have  been  travelling  amongst  '^  yes  sir,"  and  *^  no  sir," 
and  we  wanted  to  find  something  like  "thee."  Whether  it 
was  the  pleasant  manner  in  which  we  introduced  ourselves  or 
not,  we  certainly  were  treated  with  great  kindness  and  hospi- 
tality. My  friend  and  I  had  agreed,  before  we  got  to  the 
house,  to  try  these  yankee  Quakers'  hospitality,  by  not  letting 
them  know  that  we  were  travelling  on  a  religious  visit :  hence, 
their  questions  having  a  direct  bearing  to  that  point  were  avoid- 
ed with  a  careful  reference  to  the  truth. 

Having  rode  near  forty  miles,  through  cold  and  wind,  we 
were  soon  so  sleepy  as  to  retire  to  rest.  I  can  never  forget  the 
motherly  kindness  of  that  dear  old  woman  Friend.  Next 
morning  being  the  first  of  the  week,  we  asked  if  there  was  not 
a  Friends'  meeting  somewhere  on  the  way  towards  Albany. 
They  said  Milton  meeting  was  about  eight  or  nine  miles  on 
that  way.  Before  we  left  these  kind  Friends  they  found  out 
our  business,  and  wanted  to  send  somebody  with  us,  but  we 
were  not  willing  to  put  them  to  that  trouble. 

We  did  not  get  to  the  meeting  until  after  it  was  gathered, 
and  went  in  quietly  and  sat  behind  the  door.  We  had  scarcely 
got  settled  before  a  good  old  man  that  sat  at  what  is  called  the 
elbow  of  the  preacher's  gallery,  arose  and  preached  to  us  with 
propriety  and  consistency.  Soon  after  he  took  his  seat  a  younger 
man  that  I  had  noticed,  whose  countenance  was  marked  with 
intelligence  and  unflinching  courage,  arose  and  spoke  with  en- 
ergy and  feeling.  This  man  was  once  called  Captain  Corey,  an  offi- 
cer in  the  late  war.  A  short  time  after  he  sat  down  the  meet- 
ing closed.  As  we  were  near  the  door,  we  were  the  first  out, 
and  went  immediately  to  our  horses,  intending  to  go  on  to 
the  next  tavern  to  dinner.  A  man  that  I  had  noticed  next  to 
the  old  preacher  came  to  us,  and  kindly  asked  us  home  with 
him  to  dine.  We  tried  to  excuse  ourselves,  stating  we  were 
in  a  hurry  to  get  on  towards  Albany.  But  he  would  take  no 
denial,  asking  us  our  names,  and  from  whence  we  came.  When  I 
told  him,  he  said  "  Art  thou  that  Hicks  that  was  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  our  State  two  months  ago,  and  went  into  Canada  ?" 
When  I  told  him  I  had  been  there  about  that  time,  he  said, 
''  I  thought  so  when  thee  came  into  meeting.  Why  did  thee 
not  come  and  take  thy  seat?" 

We  went  home  with  this  kind  elder  and  took  dinner.     Soon 


83 

after  several  friends  came  in,  and  among  the  rest  the  late  Cap- 
tain Corey.  We  spent  the  afternoon  and  evening  very  agreea- 
bly, and  notwithstanding  my  friends  think  me  a  great  talker,  I 
had  reason  to  believe  I  was  a  mere  child  compared  to  the  d3- 
scendants  of  the  New  England  Puritans. 

Next  day  a  kind  friend,  who  had  offered,  went  with  us 
twenty  miles  to  Saratoga,  and  the  next  day  we  crossed  the 
North  River  and  went  to  Easton,  having  a  worthy  elder  of  Sar- 
atoga with  us,  who  took  us  to  the  house  of  his  brother  who  was 
a  minister,  and  his  wife  an  elder.  In  the  evening  some  allu- 
sion was  made  to  a  new  doctrine,  some  where  preaching,  that 
there  was  no  devil.  I  observed,  I  think  in  substance,  that  the 
doctrine  of  devils  was  to  me  somewhat  dark  and  difficult.  I 
thought  I  should  be  willing  to  have  it  explained  by  persons  of 
age  and  experience,  more  especially  as  I  was  young  and  did  not 
wish  to  hold  unsound  doctrines.  The  old  minister  undertook 
a  kind  of  explanation,  that  rather  increased  the  difficulty,  and 
went  to  show  how  careful  we  should  be  not  to  talk  on  subjects 
of  this  kind  without  being  under  the  influence  of  the  great 
head  of  the  Christian  church,  who  said  to  his  disciples,  ''With- 
out me  ye  can  do  nothing.^'  I  was  sorry  and  hurt  in  behold- 
ing that  ravening  spirit  that  was  then  secretly  dividing  in  Ja- 
cob, subsequently  to  scatter  in  Israel. 

Next  day  attended  che  select  quarterly  meeting.  I  am 
am  afraid  sullenly  silent.  Next  day  the  general  quarterly 
meeting,  pretty  much  in  the  same  way,  which  I  think  was  ra- 
ther a  poor  preparation  for  the  youth's  meeting,  or  meeting  for 
worship,  where  I  spoke  at  considerable  length,  and  some  might 
have  thought  it  was  a  great  meeting.  But  my  present  impres- 
sion is,  that  my  preaching  was  too  much  like  a  half  baked  cake, 
and  the  people  that  fed  on  it  like  Ephraim,  when  he  fed  on 
wind.  Next  day  there  was  a  very  large  gathering  of  people 
at  the  same  place,  in  consequence  of  the  funeral  of  a  respecta- 
ble Friend.  I  spoke  again  and  if  I  remember  right  there  was 
more  light  and  life. 

At  this  quarterly  meeting  I  met  with  an  extraordinary  old 
Friend,  in  the  station  of  an  elder,  that  lived  in  the  State  of 
Vermont.  Several  circumstances  he  related  I  shall  never  for- 
get. One  of  which  was,  as  nearly  as  I  can  remember,  was  as 
follows : 

He  said  he  became  acquainted  with  a  respectable  man,  that 


84 

lived  about  twenty  miles  from  bim^  wbo  was  in  extensive  bu- 
siness, and  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  a  serious  conversation 
with  tbis  man,  the  man  told  him  that  he  must  candidly  ac- 
knowledge he  did  not  believe  in  Cbristianity,  not  so  much  be- 
cause of  the  contradictory  propositions  and  paradoxical  difficul- 
ties it  embraced,  as  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  its  most  devoted 
advocates.  He  did  most  seriously  wish  to  believe,  but  could 
not  act  the  hypocrite  and  say  he  believed  when  he  did  not.  The 
old  elder  said  he  felt  love  in  his  heart  for  this  man,  and  greafc 
concern  that  he  might  be  convinced  of  the  blessed  truth,  as  it 
is  in  Jesus,  and  one  might  he  awoke  with  a  solemn  impression 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  go  and  see  him,  and  that  he  would  be 
furnished  with  a  message  of  love  and  encouragement  for  him. 
He  arose  early  and  went  to  the  man's  house,  and  found  him 
engaged  in  much  business,  with  much  company.  As  soon  as 
the  man  saw  him  he  spoke  to  him  kindly,  and  expressed  how 
glad  he  was  to  see  him.  The  old  elder  said  he  sat  silenfcly  in 
his  office  for  some  time,  in  great  poverty  of  spirit,  and  under 
some  discouragement  at  the  difficulty  of  having  a  suitable  op- 
portunity. He  got  up  and  walked  out  by  himself.  I  think 
he  told  me  that  it  was  in  the  short  dark  days  of  autumn,  and 
he  was  thinking  of  returning  without  relieving  his  mind,  when 
he  heard  a  noise  behind  him,  and  turning,  he  saw  the  man 
coming  to  him,  who  thus  addressed  him,  ''  Mr.  R.,  I  know  not 
why,  but  I  was  particularly  glad  to  see  you,  and  thought  per- 
haps you  had  some  special  business  with  me,  so  I  excused  my- 
self to  the  company  to  give  you  an  opportunity.'^  The  good 
old  elder,  having  been  emptied  of  himself,  spoke,  I  trust,  as 
the  believers  did  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  with  other  tongues, 
as  the  spirit  gave  him  utterance.  The  tears  rolled  freely  down 
the  man's  cheeks,  and  when  the  old  man  had  done,  the  man 
added,  ''  I  thank  you,  I  thank  you  kindly,  Mr.  R.;  I  hope  I 
shall  remember  your  message  of  love  to  advantage."  They  then 
shook  hands  most  aifectionately,  and  the  old  elder  returned  to 
his  own  home  in  peace,  in  possession  of  the  legacy  a  Saviour 
gives  all  his  faithful  disciples,  ^*  My  peace  I  leave  with  you ; 
my  peace  I  give  unto  you."  "  Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled, 
neither  let  them  be  afraid.'^ 

This  was  an  elder  worthy  of  double  honor,  a  practical  Chris- 
tian, that  was  the  instrument  of  saving  that  which  Was  lost, 
for  a  few  days  after,  this  man  was  taken  sick  and  died,  and  on 


85 

his  death  bed  he  expressed  his  great  thankfulness  to  the  Sa- 
viour  of  his  soul,  for  the  message  of  love  and  encouragement 
he  had  received  through  his  faithful  servant. 

Oh  !  that  all  that  profess  to  be  elders  in  the  church  of 
Christ,  would  go  and  do  likewise ;  how  much  good  might  be 
done.  How  infinitely,  infinitely  superior  is  such  a  course  of 
conduct  to  that  general  course  pursued  by  the  leaders  of  the 
people  in  all  societies.  How  much  of  that  cold,  hard-hearted 
cruelty,  that  characterized  the  officers  of  the  Inquisition,  has 
marked  even  the  conduct  of  too  many  ministers  and  elders 
among  us,  enabling  us  to  furnish  the  world  in  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  with  a  miniature  likeness  of  those 
cruel,  vindictive  controversies  of  what  is  called  the  darker 
ages. 

What  Friend  can  look  upon  the  page  of  history  at  the  Arian, 
but  more  especially  the  Nestorian  contest,  about  inexplicable 
doctrines,  and  not  behold  a  likeness  of  our  own  spirit  and  con- 
duct, as  large  as  life,  and  that,  too,  in  an  age  celebrated  for 
'^  march  of  mind,"  and  intellectual  improvement.  What  would 
we  Quakers  not  have  done,  could  we  have  commanded  despotic 
Emperors,  and  powerful  armies,  in  our  late  disgraceful  contro- 
versy? Would  we  not,  instead  of  imprisoning  a  few  that  dared 
to  open  the  way,  into  their  own  grave-yard  in  the  city  of  Philadel- 
phia, have  cast  thousands  into  loathsome  dungeons,  or  made  them 
expiate  their  crime  on  the  gibbet  ?  Would  we  not,  instead  of 
commanding  such  to  be  silent,  whose  speech  was  unpleasant 
to  us,  have  cut  out  their  tongues,  like  the  Arians  did  the  orthodox 
Catholics?  Would  we  not,  instead  of  turning  those  with 
whom  we  could  not  unite  out  of  meeting,  have  banished  them 
into  exile,  as  the  Council  of  Antioch  did  the  Nestorians,  from 
all  that  was  near  and  dear  in  this  world,  there  to  end  their 
days  ?  Would  we  not,  instead  of  entering  the  houses  of  our 
brethren  and  sisters,  to  fasten  on  them  the  anathema  embraced 
in  our  ecclesiastical  consures,  entered  as  a  committee  from  the 
Holy  Inquisition,  to  carry  them  to  be  broken  upon  the  wheel, 
or  to  suffer  the  awfully  cruel  torture  of  the  rack?  Soaie  of 
my  friends,  especially  Orthodox,  may  be  disposed  to  charge 
me  with  supposing  an  extreme  case,  in  order  to  cast  severe 
reflections  on  them,  and  that  they  never  would  have  gone  to 
such  extremes.  True,  they  never  would,  because  they  never 
could;  and  may  we  not  thank  the  divine  goodness,  which  or- 


86 

dained  ^^  the  poicers  that  he/'  as  exercised  under  our  mild  and 
excellent  government,  for  our  preservation  ? 

The  Jews  verily  thought,  had  they  lived  in  the  days  of  the 
prophets,  they  would  not  have  persecuted  them.  But  our  >S'«- 
viour  told  them  that  they  were  the  very  children  of  them  that 
slew  the  prophets,  and  would  fill  up  the  measure  of  their  fa- 
thers, which  they  undoubtedly  did,  as  soon  as  they  could  make 
use  of  the  secular  power.  But  don't  let  my  Orthodox  friends 
conclude  that  I  want  to  fasten  the  persecuting  spirit  exclu- 
sively on  them.-  No,  no.  I  have  seen  too  much  of  it  coming 
from  the  opposite  cjuarter,  even  from  too  many  of  my  friends, 
who  have  adopted  the  Arian  speculation.  Indeed  I  have  some 
reason  to  conclude  that  had  some  of  these  heen  such  powerful 
potentates  as  Genseric  and  his  son  Huneric,  who,  it  is  said,  cut 
out  the  tongues  of  some  of  the  Orthodox  in  Africa,  they  would 
at  least  have  so  mutilated  my  poor  tongue,  as  to  prevent  me  from 
pronouncing  the  word  "  Saviour,"  when  I  applied  it  to  Jesus 
Christ.  For  I  was  once  opposed  by  one  of  them  publicly,  in 
a  large  meeting  for  worship,  on  First-day  in  a  Friends'  meeting 
house,  and  he  broke  up  the  meeting  in  confusion,  declaring 
that  Jesus  Christ  was  no  Saviour.  I  acknowledge  that  it  was 
said  this  man  was  partially  deranged,  but  it  was  likewise  said 
the  greater  part  of  the  meeting  was  of  his  opinion.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  the  most  discouraging  part  of  this  circumstance, 
was  the  preaching  of  a  very  dear  friend  of  mine,  in  the  quar- 
terly meeting  a  few  days  after,  who  took  for  his  subject  the 
very  same  text  of  Scripture  that  the  violent  Arian  or  Unita- 
rian took  to  to  prove  that  Jesus  Christ  was  no  Saviour,  and 
handled  it  too  much  in  the  same  way  for  my  peace,  for  I  was 
now  in  a  difficulty,  let  me  take  which  horn  of  the  dilemma  I 
w^ould.  For  if  my  friend  had  heard  of  what  had  passed  in  the 
same  house  a  few  days  before,  and  what  my  opposer  had  said, 
which  I  have  reason  to  fear  was  the  case,  it  was  but  too  evi- 
dent to  me  that  he  was  prepared  to  unite  with  him,  and  if  he 
had  not  heard  and  delivered  what  he  did  from  Divine  author- 
ity, then  I  was  all  wrong,  and  had  been  for  more  than  thirty 
years  in  preaching  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  that  Jesus  Christ 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.  I  was  greatly  discour- 
aged, and  my  Arian  opposer  triumj^hantly  sat  through  the 
quarterly  meeting  for  business,  although  he  was  not  a  member 
of  Society. 


87 

Do  not  let  my  Orthodox  friends  rejoice  at  this,  and  conclude 
that  their  charges  against  us  are  true,  for  I  can  assure  them 
that  we  have  a  large  and  valuable  body  of  Friends,  that  are 
neither  Arians,  Unitarians  nor  Trinitarians,  but  firm  believers 
in  the  plain,  emphatical  testimonies  of  Holy  Writ,  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  more  than  a  man,  and  more  than  a  prophet,  and 
are  willing  to  risk  their  eternal  all  upon  this  immutable  foun- 
dation, with  the  primitive  Saints  and  primitive  Quakers. 

But  it  has  been  a  marvel  and  astonishment  to  me,  that  some 
of  my  friends  that  I  certainly  ought  to  prefer  before  myself, 
appear  to  have  gone  off  in  an  opposite  direction  from  the 
ground  taken  by  those  sons  of  the  morning,  and  if  the  Ortho- 
dox or  Trinitarians,  as  has  been  said  by  an  eminent  minister, 
are  going  full  gallop  towards  Rome,  I  may  take  the  liberty  to 
say  that  the  Unitarians  appear  to  be  on  the  long  trot  to  Con- 
stantinople, and,  I  fear,  think  very  little  more  of  Jesus  Christ 
than  what  the  Turks  do;  and  therefore,  as  respects  too  many 
of  them,  the  Orthodox  charges  were  but  too  true.  But  the 
Orthodox  were  like  Polyphemus  in  the  fable,  strong,  but 
blind,  and  I  may  add,  bigoted.  Hence,  they  fell  into  the  same 
error  that  has  characterized  them  through  the  varied  ages  of 
the  church,  opposing  a  thing  which  they  deemed  wrong,  in  a 
wrong  spirit.  Hence,  the  unintelligible  wi-angling  among  us, 
about  inexplicable  doctrines,  while  cursed  self  led  the  violent 
contest,  trampling  under  foot  justice  and  common  decency,  in 
pursuit  of  exclusive  possession  of  the  name  and  property  of 
the  once  respectable  Society  of  Friends. 

I  have  rambled  again  from  my  path  of  narrative,  and  al- 
most anticipated  a  subject  that  I  had  intended  to  try  to  speak 
of  with  care  and  perspicuity. 

After  Easton  Quarterly  meeting  we  went  to  Troy  and  were 
there  on  First-day,  and  went  from  thence  to  Saratoga  quarter, 
which  was  the  next  Fourth  and  Fifth-day.  If  I  recollect  right 
my  own  spirit  and  conduct  was  pretty  much  the  same  that  it 
was  at  Easton,  only  I  had  improved  in  one  important  qualifi- 
cation of  a  consistent  Quaker — I  was  more  silent.  After  this 
meeting  we  went  west,  as  far  as  Cooperstown,  taking  meetings 
as  way  opened ;  and  then,  returning  towards  the  North  River 
took  the  meetings  on  both  sides  as  far  down  as  Newburgh.  Of 
these  meetings,  I  can  say  but  little  more  than  what  I  have  al- 
ready said  of  other  meetings.     When  I  was  sufficiently  stript 


88 

of  cursed  self,  and  brought  in  tlie  depths  of  humility  to  wash 
my  Saviour's  feet  with  tears,  I  trust  his  gospel  was  preached, 
and  the  people  were  solemn  and  tender  ;  but  when  self  got  the 
ascendancy,  and  I  became  impatient,  unwilling  to  wait  for  the 
glorious  resurrection  of  Christ  within,  the  only  hope  of  glory, 
concluding  like  the  unwatchful  servant  that  my  Loj^d  delayed 
his  coming,  I  found  I  was  in  a  disposition  to  smite  my  fellow 
servants,  and  was  drunk  with  a  confusion  of  cogitations,  I 
fear  I  too  often,  like  Saul,  applied  to  a  witch,  to  raise  some- 
thing that  might  resemble  the  anti-tj^pe  of  Samuel,  which,  in- 
stead of  jDroducing  peace,  increased  the  confusion  and  ended 
in  condemnation. 

About  the  first  of  the  year  1820,  we  left  Newburgh,  setting 
our  faces  towards  home,  and  arrived  in  the  evening  of  one  of 
the  coldest  snowy  days  I  ever  travelled,  at  the  house  of  kind 
friends,  who  had  everything  to  make  us  and  our  weary  horses 
comfortable.  Indeed  we  found  many  such  valuable  friends  in 
this  journey,  and  however  such  idle,  shackling,  gad-about  min- 
isters as  myself,  may  preach  against  worldly-mindedness,  and, 
with  our  fanatical  charity  send  to  perdition  too  many  that  are 
concerned  by  honest  industry  to  make  comfortable  provision 
for  their  families  and  friends,  we  are  at  the  same  time,  our- 
selves, some  of  the  greatest  spongers  on  their  hospitality,  and 
when  our  carelessness  and  extravagance  has  embarrassed  our 
circumstances,  the  first  to  apply  to  them  for  help.  Here  we 
met  with  that  remarkable  man  and  consistent  Quaker  preacher 
Thomas  Titus,  and  although  nearly  ninety  years  of  age,  he 
appeared  to  shine  as  a  fixed  star  in  the  firmament  of  God's 
power.  He  was  there  on  a  visit  and  weather-bound.  We  were 
mutually  glad  to  see  each  other,  for  I  loved  him  as  a  father, 
and  he  embraced  me  as  a  son.  I  said,  remarkable  man,  for 
he  and  his  truly  pious  wife  have  lived  together  for  more  than 
sixty  years,  and  she  never  really  sick ;  but  feeling  a  fear  that 
she  should  not  be  able  to  sustain  sickness  imto  death,  with 
Christian  patience,  fervently  prayed  she  might  die  easy,  which 
was  graciously  granted,  and  she  went  off"  apparently  in  a  sweet 
sleep,  without  suffering  a  pang,  and  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  his 
own  case  was  very  similar.  He  was  further  remarkable  for 
being  beloved  by  every  body. 

Next  morning  we  parted  with  this  excellent  old  man,  and 
the  worthy  family  that  had  made  us  so  welcome  and  comforta- 
ble, and  pursued  our  joiu'ney  homeward,  through  the  south- 


89 

western  part  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  the  north-eastern 
part  of  New  Jersey,  and  in  four  days  I  arrived  safely  at  my 
own  home,  and  found  my  family  well,  for  which  great  favor,  I 
trust,  I  felt  a  thankful  heart. 

In  about  a  month  after,  I  left  home  again,  to  finish  my  visit; 
having  my  very  dear  friend,  James  Walton,  for  a  companion. 
We  went  to  Long  Island,  and  visited  all  the  meetings  belong- 
ing to  Westbury  quarter,  and  had  several  appointed  meetings 
particularly  at  Rockaway,  near  the  sea,  where  there  was  no 
Friends'  meeting.  My  distinguished  kinsman,  Elias  Hicks, 
who  had  been  with  us  at  nearly  all  the  meetings  on  the  Island, 
and  Samuel  Parsons,  a  man  conspicuous  among  Friends,  and 
still  more  so  amongst  the  Orthodox,  with  several  other  valua- 
ble Friends,  were  with  us  at  this  meeting.  It  was  held  at  the 
house  of  my  relative,  Jacob  Hicks.  A  hireling  minister  who 
lived  eight  or  ten  miles  off,  hearing  that  there  was 
a  preacher  by  the  name  of  Hicks,  who  was  not  so  hard  on 
the  priests  as  Elias,  came  to  this  meeting.  He  came  late.  I 
was  speaking  when  he  came  in,  and  did  not  see  him,  or  think 
of  a  priest  being  in  the  house.  It  is  said  I  was  led  immedi- 
ately into  an  exposition  of  the  text,  or  saying  of  the  Saviour , 
that  the  publicans  and  harlots  would  go  into  the  kingdom  of 
Heaven  before  the  priests  and  their  satellites. 

Dear  old  Elias,  who  wrote  me  a  great  many  letters,  wrote 
me  one  about  that  time,  in  which  he  alluded  to  one  of  the 
principal  causes  of  the  division,  as  well  as  to  the  meeting  at 
Rockaway.  I  will  here  insert  an  extract.  ^^My  dear  Edward 
Hicks :  having  thee  often  in  remembrance  of  late,  with  feeling 
and  affectionate  sympathy,  I  was  induced  to  take  up  my  pen, 
and  commence  with  thee  in  this  way,  especially  since  the  re- 
turn of  our  mutual  friend  and  kinsman,  John  Hicks,  who  in- 
formed me  that  he  was  favored  with  some  of  thy  company  on 
his  way  from  his  western  journey,  by  whom  I  learned  thou 
wast  still  on  the  alert,  and  closely  exercised  in  guarding  the 
frontiers  from  beasts  of  prey,  or  such  as  are  seeking,  by  hid- 
den and  indirect  means,  to  make  an  inroad  on  the  borders  of 
Zion,  and  at  some  seasons  the  warfare  rises  so  high  as  to  re- 
semble fighting  with  beasts  of  Ephesus.  This  view  of  the 
subject  corrresponds  with  my  present  allotment.  Nay,  more 
than  beasts,  or  creatures  that  range  in  darkness,  has  thy  poor 
Elias  to  struggle  with,  to  wit : — false  brethren :    and  still 


90 

worse  yet,  for  had  I  nothing  to  war  with  but  rational  animals, 
that  walk  and  work  in  darkness,  and  false  brethren  that  walk 
and  work  behind  the  screen,  all  their  force  would  scarcely  in- 
terrupt my  quiet;  but  there  is  another  kind  of  troublers  that 
are  not  easily  described,  but  are  comprehended  among  our 
weak  and  ignorant  brethren,  who  know  very  little  but  what 
they  have  obtained  through  the  medium  of  education  and  tra- 
dition, and  being  brought  up  in  an  orderly  way,  and  possessed 
of  but  little  vivacity,  they  are  kept  in  an  orderly  walk ;  this 
being  agreeable  to  their  common  nature,  and  by  which  they 
make  a  goodly  outside  appearance,  although  they  are  nothing 
but  flesh  and  blood  without,  so  many  of  these  are  little  else 
within.  But  as  these  keep  up  this  natural  orderly  walk,  they 
get  oftentimes  raised  to  eminent  stations,  such  as  overseers  and 
elders  in  society,  without  any  qualification,  but  an  orderly  out- 
side appearance,  and  some  of  these  grow  wise  in  their  own 
eyes,  which  prevents  them  from  seeing  and  knowing  their  own 
ignorance.  These  fixing  themselves  by  tradition  to  a  certain 
point,  are  immoveable,  like  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  of  old, 
and  then  if  anything  is  opened  that  does  not  tally  with  their 
creed,  let  it  be  ever  so  great  a  truth,  and  clothed  with  the 
clearest  demonstration,  they  immediately  cry  out  against  it  as 
a  new  thing,  a  mere  novelty,  and  conclude  the  author  an  here- 
tic ;  and  these  place  themselves  in  a  situation  not  to  be  taught, 
for  they  have  shut  up  the  avenues  through  which  they  might 
be  improved.  Now  one  of  these  is  more  difficult  to  deal  with 
than  all  the  out-door  walkers  in  darkness,  compared  to  beasts 
of  Ephesus,  and  the  in-door  false  brethren,  for  the  latter  have  dis- 
cretion enough  to  know  when  they  are  beaten  and  vanquished, 
but  the  others  have  not;  yet  their  ignorance  makes  them  ap- 
pear sincere,  and  that  places  them  in  an  immoveable  state,  and 
although  entirely  incorrect,  yet,  in  most  cases,  they  seem 
placed  beyond  any  means  of  remedy.  To  be  clear  of  all  such 
troubles,  would  be  a  real  cause  of  rejoicing. 

"Some  of  us  here  away  have  found  it  our  duty  to  endeavour 
to  convince  our  Methodist  bretheren  and  sisters,  both  within 
and  without  society,  that  Heaven  and  Hell  are  not  at  so  great 
a  distance  as  they  imagine,  and  that  they  are  not  confined 
within  walls  or  limits,  but  are  every  where  present  where  there 
is  either  man  or  woman,  who  b}"  their  works  have  become 
fitted  to  enter  either.  For  as  Jesus  tells  us,  who  knew  well 
what  he  said,    that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  within  us,  so 


91 

when  the  soul  enlists  under  his  banner  and  gives  God 
the  whole  rule  and  goyernment,  there  that  soul  is  in  Heaven. 
For  Heaven  is  not  a  place  so  as  to  be  distinct  from  another, 
but  it  is  the  real  state  and  condition  of  the  soul  in  which  its 
heaven  consists.  So,  on  the  contrary,  if  we  will  not  suffer 
this  man  to  have  the  rule  over  us,  like  some  formerly,  but  will 
cast  him  out  and  set  up  a  kingdom  of  our  own,  which  is  the 
kingdom  of  Satan,  and  suffer  the  man  of  sin  and  son  of  per- 
dition to  take  the  whole  rule  and  government,  there  then 
is  that  soul  in  Hell,  which  is  also  a  state  and  not  a  place. 

^'But  this  some  of  our  Methodist  friends,  in  society  as  well 
as  out  of  society,  cannot  admit,  because  it  disappoints  them, 
as  Jesus  did  the  Jews,  when  he  took  away  their  outward  lo- 
cated Heaven,  and  put  an  end  to  all  their  noisy  rejoicing.  So 
these  are  very  unwilling  to  give  up  all  their  noise  and  shout- 
ing, and  all  their  hallelujahs,  and  glory,  glory  songs,  and  bar- 
ter them  away  for  the  peaceful  abodes  of  Paradise,  where  all 
the  delightful  songs,  and  heavenly  anthems  of  glory  are  heard 
and  distinctly  understood,  through  the  unbounded  regions  of 
this  holy  and  happy  abode,  without  the  least  expression  of  a 
vocal  whisper. 

^'We  had  a  very  good  meeting  at  Rockaway,  when  thou  hadst 
to  make  an  experiment  by  putting  the  hireling  priests,  and 
soldiers,  and  sailors  in  a  bag,  and  shaking  them,  to  see  which 
would  first  come  out.  And  indeed  there  is  a  great  similarity 
between  them,  as  they  all  fight  and  war  for  money,  or  pecuni- 
ary reward.  Take  away  their  wages,  and  they  would  all  alike 
desert  the  cause. 

^^Tn  much  love,  to  thee  and  thine,  in  vrhich  my  wife  and 
daughter  E.,  joins,  I  rest  thy  affectionate  friend, 

Elias  Hicks.'^ 

Having  been  led  to  bring  into  view  in  a  particular  manner, 
my  very  dear  friend,  and  record  an  extract  from  one  of  the 
many  letters  I  received,  it  may  be  right  in  this  place,  to  make 
a  few  remarks  respecting  him,  more  especially  as  he  has  been 
and  still  continues  to  be,  the  butt  of  Orthodox  persecution. 

I  will  not  pretend  to  say  that  Elias  Hicks  was  entirely  clear 
of  those  extremes  to  which  eminent  men  are  liable,  in  the 
heat  of  controversy,  and  the  tenacious  defence  of  some  favorite 
speculations ;  if  I  did,  I  would  set  him  above  some  of  the 
greatest  men  that  ever  lived.  The  apostles  themselves,  though 


92 

strong  and  powerful  in  the  Christian  faith,  had  their  weak 
side,  and  Tertullian,  one  of  the  highest  stars  in  the  second 
century,  was  led  into  a  foolish  extreme,  by  the  fanatical  no- 
tions of  Montanus ;  while  Origen,  acknowledged  by  all  to  be 
the  brightest  luminary  of  the  third  century,  did  immense 
mischief  to  the  cause  of  primitive  Christianity,  by  his  extreme 
attachment  to  the  Platonic  philosophy,  scholastic  divinity  and 
human  learning.  Therefore,  it  is  among  the  possible  circum- 
stances that  dear  Elias  was  led  to  an  extreme  in  the  Unitarian 
speculation,  while  opposing  the  Trinitarian,  then  increasing 
among  Friends,  and  now  almost  established  among  our  Ortho- 
dox Friends.  But  I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  hearing  him 
in  public  testimony,  and  I  have  heard  him  much,  when  his 
speculative  views  or  manner  of  speaking,  destroyed  the  savour 
of  life  that  attended  his  ministry,  or  gave  me  any  uneasiness. 
But  I  have  certainly  heard  to  my  sorrow,  too  many  of  his  su- 
perficial admirers,  that  have  tried  to  copy  after  him,  pretend- 
ing to  wear  his  crown,  without  knowing  any  thing  of  his 
cross,  make  use  of  the  naked  term,  Jesus,  both  in  public  and 
private,  till  it  sounded  in  my  ears  as  unpleasant  as  if  coming 
from  the  tongue  of  the  profane  swearer;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  I  have  been  pained  to  hear  the  unnecessary  repetition  of 
the  terms,  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  from  those  I 
verily  believed  Elias' s  bitter  enemies,  especially  the  English 
preachers,  and  have  scarcely  a  doubt  that  they  were  substan- 
tially breaking  the  third  commandment.  And  I  will  now  add 
my  opinion  fearlessly,  that  Elias  was  wi'ong  in  entering  into 
that  quibbling  controversy  with  those  weak  Quakers,  alluded 
to  in  his  letter,  about  the  marvellous  conception  and  parentage 
of  Christ,  a  delicate  and  inexplicable  subject,  that  seems  to 
have  escaped  the  particular  attention  of  what  we  call  the  darker 
ages,  to  disgrace  the  highest  professors  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. But  however  wrong  he  might  have  been  in  this  case, 
the  conduct  of  his  antagonist  outraged  every  thing  like  the 
gentleman  or  the  Christian,  in  furnishing  his  enemies  with 
copies  of  his  letters,  after  they  had  agreed  mutually  to  disa- 
gree and  quit  writing,  and  honorably  return  to  each  their  re- 
spective letters.  Hence,  the  establishment  of  the  charge 
against  Elias  Hicks,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Orthodox,  that  he 
denied  the  miraculous  conception,  which  I  shall  endeavor  to 
refute  by  the  following  testimony.     I  very  well  recollect,  a 


93 

short  time  after  tlie  controversy  alluded  to,  I  was  walking  with 
Elias,  in  the  time  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  New  York,  when 
he  told  me  seriously  and  confidently  by  ourselves,  that  he  had 
never  doubted  the  truth  of  the  Scripture  testimony,  as  record- 
ed by  Mathew  and  Luke,  respecting  the  miraculous  concep- 
tion; that  he  thought  the  figure  would  be  incomplete  without 
it,  but  that  he  had  felt  a  freedom  to  try  the  foundation  of  such 
Friends,  whose  belief  he  suspected  to  be  founded  on  mere  tra- 
dition, because  their  superficial  faith  would  be  too  easily  over- 
turned by  the  subtile  Deist. 

We  may  imagine  and  surmise  different  causes  for  the  un- 
happy revolution  among  Friends,  when  the  real  and  substan- 
tial cause  is  prefigured  in  the  revolution  that  took  place  in 
Israel,  in  the  time  of  Samuel  the  prophet,  who  was  one  of  the 
beautiful  types  of  the  Son  and  sent  of  God,  and  who  was  Di- 
vinely commissioned  to  anoint  Saul,  a  meek,  humble  young 
man,  to  be  a  king  among  the  Lord's  people,  and  the  Lord  was 
with  him  as  a  teacher,  agreeably  to  his  promise,  "  The  hum- 
ble he  will  teach  of  his  ways,  and  the  meek  he  will  guide  in 
the  path  of  true  judgment/'  Thus  taught,  Saul  judged  it 
right  to  exterminate  all  the  witches  and  wizards,  that  deceived 
the  people,  out  of  the  land.  Such  characters,  probably  as  are 
now  comprehended  in  the  impostors,  and  deluded  votaries  of 
anti-Christ  among  the  priests,  psychologists,  magnetizers,  &c. 
This  righteous  act  on  the  part  of  Saul,  made  him  an  object  of 
love  and  respect  among  the  people,  and  the  silly  women  sung 
after  him  that  he  had  slain  his  thousands.  Listening  with  too 
much  pleasure  to  theii'  song,  raised  him  a  head  and  shoulders 
above  his  brethren,  and  being  puffed  up  with  pride  and  self- 
consequence,  the  Lord  left  him,  and  held  no  more  communion 
with  him,  taking  the  kingdom  from  him  to  give  it  to  David, 
who  was  meek  and  lowly  of  mind.  Thus  left,  Saul  became 
the  victim  of  malevolent  passions,  jealousy,  envy  and  supersti- 
tion, which  now  being  added  to  his  pride,  prepared  him  for 
acts  of  violence,  weakness  and  deception.  Hence,  his  repeat- 
ed attempts  to  kill  his  innocent  rival,  and  final  application  for 
instruction  to  the  witch  of  Endor. 

I  am  aware  that  some  of  the  wise  of  this  world,  but  I  can- 
not say  prudent,  have  manifested  a  disposition  to  turn  this 
passage  of  Scripture  into  ridicule,  while  to  me,  it  is  full  of  in- 
struction,  which    I   shall   endeavor,  with   Divine  assistance 


94 

to  give  in  its  application^  to  the  subject  now  under  considera- 
tion. 

The  analogy  between  Israel  of  old,  under  the  outward 
law  covenant,  and  the  Israel  of  God,  under  the  inward  gos- 
pel covenant,  should  ever  be  kept  in  view  by  the  Christian. 
The  first  was  a  national  community  of  corporeal  beings, 
with  an  outward  law  and  ceremonies,  outward  rewards 
and  punishments,  an  outward  land  of  promise,  and  an  out- 
ward Saviour,  which  was  the  glorious  manifestation  of  God 
in  the  flesh.  The  second  is  a  communion  of  rational 
immortal  souls,  created  in  the  image  of  God,  of  all  nations, 
kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  people,  with  a  spiritual  law,  writ- 
ten in  the  heart,  and  placed  in  the  inward  part;  spiritual 
rewards  and  punishments,  a  spiritual  land  of  promise,  and  a 
spiritual  Saviour,  even  the  eternal  word,  that  was  ^'in  the  be- 
ginning with  God,  and  is  God  over  all,  blessed  for  ever.'' 
This  is  the  church  of  Christ,  the  Christian  church,  militant 
on  earth.  Such  of  its  members  as  are  designed  for  kings  and 
priests  unto  God,  are  especially  anointed  with  the  holy  oil, 
and  thus  prepared  to  be  messengers  of  glad  tidings,  that  will 
bind  up  the  broken  heart,  and  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captive 
soul;  and  as  the  terms  messenger,  and  angel,  in  this  sense  are 
synonymous,  so  they  are  commissioned  and  sent  as  Christ's 
angels,  to  gather  his  elect  from  the  four  winds  under  Heaven. 
These  were,  and  still  continue  to  be,  the  light  of  the  world, 
a  light  that  cannot  be  hid  under  a  bushel.  These  will  become 
more  or  less  distinguished,  according  to  their  gifts,  and  con- 
sequently more  or  less  the  objects  of  adoration  and  praise, 
whichj  if  they  listen  to,  and  are  pleased  with,  like  Saul  with 
the  singing  of  the  women,  they  lose  that  humility  and  meek- 
ness, inseparably  connected  with  the  holy  anointing,  and  fall 
from  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus,  and,  like  Saul,  become 
the  slaves  to  jealousy,  envy,  and  hatred.  But  in  order  to  keep 
up  their  honor  among  the  people  as  preachers,  they  apply  to 
the  anti-type  of  the  witch  of  Endor,  that  cursed  serpentine 
self,  that  has  been  playing  the  harlot,  though  adorned  with 
Christ's  jewels,  which  completes  the  deception,  while  it  feeds 
them  with  the  beast  that  was  like  unto  a  calf,  and  ends  in 
self-condemnation  and  destruction.  These  are  fallen  angels, 
and,  if  they  do  not,  in  the  depths  of  humility  and  self-abase- 
ment, ^pply  to  Christ   to  restore  them  to  Heaven,  they  are 


95 

in  a  fair  way  to  become  devils  incarnate,  that  cannot  escape 
the  damnation  of  hell.  Hence  the  propriety  of  the  Saviour's 
severe  strictures  upon  the  priests,  and  hence  too  we  may  un- 
derstand the  reason  why  ministers  are  the  authors  of  those 
bitter  contests,  and  unintelligible  wranglings,  that  have  been 
a  disgrace  to  the  Christian  religion. 

Now  I  greatly  fear  that  there  have  been,  and  still  are,  too 
many  such  ministers  among  Friends,  and  that  this  has  been 
the  principal  cause  of  the  late  unhappy  if  not  disgraceful 
separation.  Had  some  of  us  only  known,  what  we  might  have 
known  had  we  dwelt  in  the  light,  that  the  little  popularity 
with  which  we  were  so  mightily  pleased  was  of  a  mushroom 
character,  "  raised  without  merit,''  it  might  then  have  been 
^^  lost  without  crime,"  and  our  standing  in  society  like  water 
would  have  soon  found  its  level.  But  the  silly  women  con- 
tinuing to  sing  after  some  of  us,  we  felt  very  comfortable  till 
the  music  was  devoted  to  the  praise  of  Elias,  and  the  song  to 
him  become  much  louder  and  longer;  then,  like  Saul,  we 
began  to  throw  our  javelins,  and  the  women  seeing  what  was 
self-evident,  that  Elias  was  not  only  a  greater  preacher  than 
the  rest  of  us,  and  that  he  did  (what  is  a  rare  thing  among  us) 
practice  his  own  doctrine,  continued  to  sing;  and  Saul  and 
Abner  tried  to  comfort  themselves  for  a  while  with  the  assu- 
rance that  his  followers  were  few,  and  like  the  three  hundred 
that  went  after  David,  were  poor  men ;  that  they  could  not 
pay  their  debts,  and  that  their  scolding  wives  made  them  un- 
happy at  home.  Yet  this  was  the  beginning  of  one  of  the 
most  important  revolutions  in  Israel,  and  of  the  reorganization 
of  the  government  on  more  substantial  premises,  while  Saul 
fell  upon  his  own  sword  on  Mount  Gilboa,  and  Abner  by  the 
hand  of  Joab,  with  this  lamentation,  '■'■  Shall  the  sword  devour 
for  ever  ?  know  thou  it  will  be  bitterness  in  the  latter  end.'' 
Oh  !  that  the  Sauls,  Abners,  and  Joabs,  among  the  belligerents 
in  the  Society  of  Friends,  would  learn  heavenly  wisdom  before 
it  is  too  late,  and  obey  the  command  of  the  blessed  Saviour, 
'^  Put  up  thy  sword  into  its  sheath,  for  they  that  take  the 
sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword." 

I  will  now  try  again  to  return  from  my  eccentric  course  to 
the  path  I  intended  to  have  kept  to.  My  dear  friend  James 
Walton  having  left  me  in  New  York  to  return  home,  my  kins- 
man Valentine  Hicks  joined  me  in  a  visit  to  Purchase  Quarter, 


06 

and  we  attended  all  the  meetings  I  believe  to  the  satisfaction 
of  Friends,  and  others  that  attended;  but  all  I  can  remember 
is,  the  meetings  were  large,  and  I  suffered  with  sickness. 

I  think  it  was  at  the  Yearly  Meeting  this  year  that  the 
great  effort  was  made  to  establish  that  ecclesiastical  head  of 
aristocracy,  that  ruined  the  Christian  republic  in  the  second 
century ;  and  the  analogy  is  so  striking,  and  the  coincidence 
so  remarkable,  it  may  be  right  for  me  to  give  a  concise 
statement. 

About  the  year  170,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  seven 
churches  in  Asia  were  independent  of  each  other,  governed  by 
their  own  discipline,  and  only  bound  together  by  the  unity  of 
the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,  when  a  proposition  was  made 
originating  with  some  of  the  Grecian  bishops — a  scripture 
term  for  overseers — and  mostly  senior  ministers,  to  establish 
this  great  head,  which  was  called  by  them  a  synod,  but  by  the 
Latins,  a  council.  It  was  to  be  composed  of  delegates  from  all 
the  seven  churches.  It  was  ingeniously  proposed  and  carried 
through,  as  such  innovations  generally  are,  by  chicanery  and 
cunning;  for  when  opposition  to  influential  characters  is 
attended  with  danger,  the  timid  are  too  often  silent,  the  mul- 
titude believe  and  imposture  triumphs. 

About  the  year  170  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  as  an  organ- 
ized body  of  Christians,  raised  for  the  special  purpose  of  revi- 
ving and  preserving  primitive  Christianity,  both  as  respects 
doctrine  and  discipline,  the  same  proposition  was  made  to  the 
seven  Yearly  Meetings  on  the  continent  of  America,  by  senior 
ministers,  two  of  whom  were  remarkable  for  their  sophistical 
eloquence,  and  throwing  their  javelins,  like  Saul,  at  such  as 
they  considered  rivals. 

When  this  proposition  was  made  to  our  Yearly  Meeting,  by 
the  two  ministers  last  alluded  to,  the  timid  saw  the  danger 
but  were  silent,  and  the  multitude  were  about  believing,  when 
one  of  the  most  imprudent  junior  ministers  arose  and  addressed 
the  meeting  in  substance  as  follows,  "  If  the  proposition  to 
establish  this  head  of  aristocracy  is  united  with  by  this  meet- 
ing, it  will  ruin  the  Society  of  Friends.  'A  people  that  the 
Lord  Almighty  has  raised  by  his  own  invincible  power  and 
signally  placed  his  name  amongst  them,'  will  then  ^become 
only  the  transient  glory  of  a  couple  of  centuries,'  when  it  was 
designed  in  the  councils  of  infinite   wisdom  they  should  '  be 


97 

the  joy  of  the  whole  earth/  Then  the  only  repository  of  that 
primitive  republicanism  laid  down  in  the  heavenly  doctrine  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  embraced  in  their  simple  but  evangelical 
discipline,  will  fall  into  that  vortex  of  anti-christianity  that 
has  engulphed  all  other  reformers  from  the  church  of  Rome. 
I  am  therefore  decidedly  opposed  to  the  proposition,  and  sin- 
cerely wish  Friends  to  make  a  solemn  pause  before  they  ap- 
proach any  nearer  the  crumbling  brink  of  ruin/'  These 
remarks,  though  expressed  in  a  rough,  incoherent  manner, 
forming  a  striking  contrast  with  the  foregoing  speakers, 
arrested  the  current  in  favor  of  the  proposition,  and  alarmed 
its  distinguished  advocates,  who  immediately  had  recourse  to 
one  of  those  political  manoeuvres  that  too  often  characterize 
the  eloquent  orator  and  cunning  artificer,  when  determined  to 
force  conviction  in  favor  of  some  favorite  scheme.  Hence  an 
appeal  to  the  sympathies  of  the  people,  in  the  most  persuasive 
eloquence,  expressing  a  hope  that  the  meeting  would  now  see 
more  clearly  the  importance  of  the  salutory  restraints  contem- 
plated in  the  proposition,  and  a  joy  was  expressed,  that  the 
day  had  dawned  when  the  Society  of  Friends  would  be  pre- 
pared to  unite  with  a  concern  that  had  for  its  object  the  proper 
appreciation  of  age  and  experience,  and  the  establishment  of 
the  authority  of  the  church  upon  a  firm  and  substantial  foun- 
dation. The  imprudent  Friend,  who  by  this  time  might  have 
been  thought  rather  impotent  by  some,  replied  in  substance 
that  he  was  difierently  circumstanced  from  the  Friends  who 
had  last  spoken,  that  while  they  hoped  he  feared,  and  whilst 
they  rejoiced  he  sorroiced.  He  feared  that  if  the  spirit  that 
had  dictated  this  proposition  should  gain  the  ascendancy 
among  Friends,  it  might  be  productive  of  more  immediate  suf- 
fering than  it  produced  in  the  primitive  church,  when  it 
opened  a  door  by  which  the  enemy  entered,  and  made  great 
devastation  in  the  flock  and  family  of  God.  For  under  the 
benign  influence  of  the  mild  and  generous  government  of  the 
United  States,  Friends,  as  American  citizens,  are  tenacious  of 
their  civil  and  religious  rights,  and  will  not,  like  the  poor 
Friends  in  Ireland,  sufi'er  them  to  be  trampled  under  foot  with 
impunity.  Hence  a  division  in  Jacob  and  a  scattering  in 
Israel  must  ensue.  He  sorrowed  at  the  affecting  scene  that 
would  be  likely  to  follow,  when  husbands  and  wives,  parents 
and  children,  brethren  and  sisters,  must  be  separated ;  and  the 

9 


98 

nearest  and  dearest  friends  turned  into  the  most  implacable 
enemies^  and  the  exclamation  of  the  world's  people,  respecting 
the  people  called  Quakers,  entirely  changed,  "  See  these 
Quakers  how  they  hate  one  another.'^ 

I  will  not  pretend  to  say  that  these  were  the  identical  words 
which  were  spoken,  I  only  come  as  near  as  I  can  recollect. 

The  proposition  was  not  united  with  by  Philadelphia  Yearly 
Meeting,  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken.  New  York,  Ohio,  and 
Baltimore  rejected  it.  Thus  the  principal  head  of  the  beast^ 
that  the  beloved  John  saw  in  heavenly  visions,  come  up  out 
of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  received  a 
wound,  or  was  rejected  for  that  time,  by  the  society  of  Friends 
in  America.  But  the  wound  that  this  head  received,  did  not 
appear  to  be  of  a  deadly  character.  It  was  soon  healed,  for  it 
was  found  rearing  itself  again,  in  our  Meeting  for  Sufferings, 
in  the  form  of  a  creed,  which  being  likewise  rejected  by  our 
Yearly  Meeting,  the  beast  assumed  its  leopard  appearance — 
for  we  must  remember  that  the  beast  which  John  saw,  was 
like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  paws  of  a  bear, 
and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion — hence  the  variety  and 
beauty  of  our  theological  writings,  and  verbal  arguments,  in 
the  form  of  sermons;  our  increasing  restless  state,  with  the 
carnivorous  cruelty  of  the  leopard ;  while  the  discipline  was 
laid  hold  of  as  a  sword,  and  wielded  with  all  the  weight  of  the 
paw  of  the  bear,  and  the  redoubtable  English  lion  thundered 
out  its  excommunications  against  Elias  Hicks,  Edward  Sta- 
bler, John  Comly,  and  others,  though  more  than  one  half  of 
the  Society  went  with  the  latter. 

Can  any  one  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  Church, 
question  the  propriety  of  the  view  I  have  taken,  in  relation  to 
the  synod,  or  council  established  over  the  seven  Churches  in 
Asia,  being  the  principal  head  of  the  beast  that  John  saw  rise 
out  of  the  sea  of  confusion  and  darkness.  If  any  do,  I  refer 
them  to  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  the  council  of  Nice  in  325, 
the  council  of  Alexandria  in  430,  and  the  council  of  Ephesus 
in  431.  Mosheim  himself,  although  a  prejudiced  priest,  has 
to  acknowledge  that  the  transactions  of  these  councils  will  ap- 
pear to  the  candid  and  equitable  reader,  in  the  most  unfavora- 
ble light,  as  full  of  low  artifice,  contrary  to  all  the  rules  of 
justice,  and  even  destitute  of  the  least  share  of  common  decen- 
cy.    Such,  then,  was  the  head  or  aristocracy,  established  in 


99 

tlie  one  hundred  and  seventieth  year  of  tlie  primitive  church, 
that  sapped  the  foundation  of  all  its  republican  principles,  and 
opened  a  wide  door  to  the  spirit  of  apostacy.  And  I  verily  be- 
lieve the  same  evil  genius  was  embraced  in  the  proposition 
offered  or  made  to  the  Society  of  Friends,  on  the  continent  of 
America,  about  the  year  one  hundred  and  seventy  of  their  ex- 
istence as  an  organized  body.  Is  not  the  coincidence  remarka- 
ble ?  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  casting  reflections 
upon  those  Friends  who  verily  thought  they  were  doing  God 
service  5  I  trust  they  were  as  sincere  as  Saul  of  Tarsus,  and  I 
only  wish,  like  Saul — or  Paul — they  may  pray  to  that  Saviour 
who  has  pricked  their  consciences,  and  thus  witness  the  scales 
to  be  removed  from  their  eyes. 

At  a  Quarterly  Meeting  of  ministers  and  elders,  held  at 
Buckingham,  I  had  the  first  clear  view  of  the  policy  and  man- 
agement of  those  Friends  who  were  about  turning  the  two 
great  committees  of  care,  that  were  to  preside  over  the  con- 
cerns of  society,  during  the  recesses  of  the  Yearly  Meeting, 
into  this  head  of  aristocracy.  It  came  out  in  a  discussion  that 
took  place  about  a  minister  recommended  by  Buckingham 
Monthly  Meeting.  A  wealthy,  and  of  course  respectable, 
elder,  said  he  thought  the  time  was  at  hand  when  a  Monthly 
Meeting  would  have  no  more  business  with  recommending  a 
minister,  than  a  Preparative  Meeting  had  with  the  business  of 
a  Monthly  Meeting.  That  is,  they  would  only  bring  forward 
the  name,  and  the  Quarterly  Meeting  of  ministers  and  elders 
would  recommend  or  acknowledge  the  minister. 

I  thought  I  saw  clearly  now,  what  was  going  on ;  or  if  I  may 
be  permitted  to  make  a  parody  of  a  part  of  one  of  the  prophet 
Ezekiel's  visions — I  had  seen  something  like  the  image  of 
jealousy,  that  provoked  to  jealousy.  I  had  met  it  several  times 
in  the  entry,  and  I  now  saw,  I  thought,  through  something  like 
a  hole  in  the  wall,  what  the  ancients  of  Israel  were  doing  in 
the  dark,  notwithstanding  the  thick  black  cloud  that  seemed  to 
rest  upon  them.  And,  subsequently,  I  think  I  have  seen  the 
other  abominations  spoken  of  by  the  Lord's  prophet.  I  have 
seen  the  womanish  weakness  of  our  society,  quarrelling,  fret- 
ting, and  weeping,  about  they  know  not  what.  I  have  seen 
ministers  and  elders  of  a  religious  society,  whose  distinguish- 
ing doctrine  is  the  supremacy  and  pre-eminence  of  internal 
over  external  evidence,  turn  their  backs  upon  the  Lord's  tern- 


100 

pie  and  altar,  within  them,  and  set  witli  their  faces  towards 
the  East,  worshipping  the  greatest  luminary  in  the  first  and 
second  heavens,  the  scrijDtures  of  truth,  that  neyer  were  nor 
never  will  be  i\ie  i^rimari/  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  to  a  real 
substantial  Quaker. 

I  return  again  to  Buckingham  Quarterly  Meeting  of  minis- 
ters and  elders,  and  the  democratic  remarks  I  made  in  reply  to 
the  respectable  and  wealthy  aristocrat,  which  offended  him 
sadly.  After  meeting  I  went  to  speak  to  him,  not  thinking 
how  I  had  hurt  him,  and  was  perfectly  astonished  to  find  him 
in  something  like  an  hysteric  fit.  His  countenance  was  pale 
and  distorted,  and  showed  evident  marks  of  great  excitement ; 
exposing  him  much  to  his  disadvantage.  I  told  him  I  did  not 
desire  to  offend  him,  and  was  very  sorry ;  but  he  would  not 
be  satisfied  with  such  acknowledgement.  So  I  had  to  leave 
him,  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  seek  relief  from  one  of  our  oldest 
elders,  who  told  me  that  he  did  not  think  I  had  said  any  thing 
that  ought  to  give  him  offence,  and  that  if  it  pinched  him,  let 
him  bear  it.  This  man  never  forgave  me,  I  fear,  until  he  came 
on  his  death  bed ;  when  I  have  reason  to  believe  he  did,  and  I 
hope  to  meet  his  glorified  spirit,  where  angry  passions  cease  to 
trouble,  and  the  tossed  and  weary  soul  is  forever  at  rest.  The 
next  day  he  came  to  me  and  acknowledged  that  he  was  wrong, 
in  suffering  himself  to  get  in  such  a  passion,  but  that  I  was 
wrong  also. 

After  what  I  had  seen,  I  felt  it  my  religious  duty  to  lay  be- 
fore the  next  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  at  the  Falls,  a  proposi- 
tion, that  that  meeting  should  request  the  Yearly  Meeting  to 
institute  a  strict  and  serious  enquiry  into  the  standing  of  the 
Meeting  for  Sufferings  ;  for  there  was  reason  to  fear  that  it  was 
becoming  a  dangerous  aristocracy.  From  this  time  some 
Friends  considered  me  as  a  suspicious,  if  not  a  dcingerous  cha- 
racter, and  the  respectable  elder  that  I  offended  at  the  select 
meeting  at  Buckingham,  called  on  me ;  and  I  have  no  doubt 
it  was  well  for  me,  and  him,  too,  I  was  not  at  home,  for  when 
men  that  are  constitutionally  choleric,  turbulent,  and  haughty, 
meet  under  excitement,  they  mostly  make  bad  worse. 

I  think  it  was  in  the  winter  following,  that  I  was  engaged 
with  other  Friends,  in  visiting  the  families  of  our  Monthly 
Meeting,  and  while  from  home  on  this  service,  my  shop  was 
burned  down,  with  all  its  contents,  and,  in  a  few  days  after- 


101 

wards,  I  was  taken  sick,  and  perliaps  I  was  brought  the  near- 
est to  the  gates  of  death,  I  ever  was.  I  very  imprudently 
continued  with  Friends  in  the  service,  a  day  or  two,  with  a 
chill  and  fever,  and  the  last  house  I  went  into,  I  fainted  as 
soon  as  I  entered  the  door,  and  for  six  or  eight  days  I  was 
delirious.  The  friend  of  the  house,  being  skilful,  bled  me  im- 
mediately, and  at  the  same  time  sent  about  five  miles  for  our 
family  physician,  and  my  wife.  My  dear  adopted  sister,  Beu- 
lah  E.  Twining,  brought  my  wife  in  her  carriage,  and  my  dear 
son  Isaac,  then  a  boy  of  eight  or  nine,  begging  so  to  come 
along,  they  brought  him  also.  Doctor  Plumly  was  a  man  who 
was  considered  very  skilful,  but  quite  an  enthusiast,  pro- 
nouncing from  the  fii'st  my  case  desperate  and  incurable,  and 
I  believe  always  said,  as  long  as  he  lived,  that  I  was  raised  by 
a  miracle,  for  some  special  purpose. 

The  only  thing  I  remember  at  the  friend's  house,  was  my 
son  sitting,  holding  my  head  and  weeping.  Next  day  they 
brought  me  home,  in  a  carriage,  and  I  can  rememl5er  hearing 
the  wheels  on  the  bridge,  and  I  faintly  remember  when  they 
carried  me  into  my  own  house.  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be  tedi- 
ously particular,  because  of  something  that  was  thought  by 
some  rather  remarkable.  During  my  delirium  I  spoke  of  the 
rotten  state  of  a  certain  Bank  whose  credit  then  stood  very 
high.  One  of  my  physicians  being  a  director  of  said  bank, 
was  made  to  marvel  a  little  at  my  saying  I  saw  men  secretly 
at  work  in  the  dark,  and  some  of  them  with  plain  coats  on,  in 
a  fraudulent  and  clandestine  manner,  which  must  end  in  the 
failure  of  the  institution.  But  it  was  still  more  marvellous, 
that  this  prophecy  in  a  delirium  should  be  fulfilled  in  less  than 
a  year,  by  the  disgraceful  bankruptcy  of  that  anti-christian 
nursery  of  usury. 

Credulity  and  superstition  are  disposed  to  make  mighty  won- 
ders of  such  circumstances,  when  this,  as  well  as  many  others, 
may  be  explained  on  rational  principles.  The  cashier  of  this 
bank  died  a  short  time  before  I  was  taken  sick,  and  sent  for 
me,  about  ten  miles,  the  night  before  he  died.  I  found  him 
nearly  gone,  but  he  could  speak  so  as  to  be  understood  to  be 
concerned  about  the  bank.  But  feeling  it  my  duty  to  hold  up 
something  of  more  importance  to  him — salvation  through 
Jesus  Christ  the  only  Saviour — I  discouraged  his  concern 
about  the  bank,  and  he  said  no  more.     But  after  his  death,  I 

9:^ 


102 

could  not  help  thinking  that  there  might  be  something  wrong 
about  the  bank,  that  he  wished  to  disclose  to  me  as  a  particu- 
lar friend.  With  these  impressions  I  was  taken  sick,  and  it 
appears  reasonable  that  I  would  express  in  my  delirium  some- 
thing about  it. 

When  I  came  to  myself  I  remember  I  was  very  much  con- 
cerned for  fear  I  had  made  use  of  profane  language,  having 
been  once  a  profane  swearer,  and  was  truly  thankful  when  I 
was  told  I  did  not. 

I  cannot  feel  altogether  easy  to  omit  a  little  matter,  that  is 
of  great  importance  to  me.  One  of  my  daughters,  about  7  or 
8  years  of  age,  seeing  and  feeling  the  distress  manifested  by 
her  mother  and  elder  sisters,  would  go  aside  with  her  Bible, 
and  read,  and  no  doubt  pray.  She  would  then  come  to  them 
and  say,  I  think  father  will  get  well,  for  when  I  am  reading 
there  is  something  seems  to  tell  me  so.  0,,that  dear  children 
could  be  more  encoui-aged  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  pray,  for 
the  fervent  effectual  prayer  availeth  much. 

About  this  time  I  had  been  visiting  the  meetings  in  Phila- 
delphia. On  First  days  I  remember  they  were  very  large,  the 
houses  could  not  contain  the  people,  owing  to  the  excitement 
and  unsettled  state  of  society,  and  not  to  my  preaching.  But 
I  understood  they  manifested  great  concern  for  me,  during  my 
sickness,  and  I  am  certainly  under  obligations  to  many  dear 
friends  in  that  city,  for  their  great  kindness  to  me,  a  poor  un- 
worthy brother,  and  indeed  the  interest,  attention,  and  kind- 
ness of  my  neighbors,  rich  and  poor,  still  makes  my  heart 
overflow  with  gratitude. 

In  the  spring  of  1822,  I  visited  the  meetings  and  some  of 
the  families  of  friends  of  Baltimore,  and  tried  to  reconcile  or 
settle  a  difficulty  that  had  arisen  among  them  about  their  grave 
yard,  but  found  that  the  strong  man  armed  was  not  to  be 
bound,  or  cast  out,  but  by  a  strength  that  I  did  not  possess. 
I  therefore  had  to  give  it  up. 

I  thought  Friends  manifested  a  weak,  unsettled  state,  by 
running  after  a  popular  English  clergyman,  and  joining  him 
in  Bible  Societies,  and  so  forth.  Being  led  to  speak  against 
Ephraim's  idols,  I  gave  offence,  and  received  an  unfriendly 
letter  from  a  female  elder,  who  afterwards  acknowledged  to 
me  that  she  was  wrong.  Nevertheless,  I  found  many  valuable 
friends  in  that  city,  at  the  head  of  which  I  placed  that  happy 


103 

compound  of  the  gentleman  and  the  Christian,  Evan  Thomas; 
a  prince  in  our  Israel^  and  a  pillar  in  the  Lord's  house  that 
went  no  more  out. 

On  my  return  from  Baltimore,  having  a  companion,  our  lives 
appeared  to  be  in  great  jeopardy,  by  the  steamboat  coming  in 
contact  with  a  schooner  in  the  dark,  about  ten  o'clock  at  night, 
and  at  the  widest  part  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  The  concussion 
was  tremendous,  and  the  alarm  and  confusion  awful.  The 
captain  of  the  steamboat  was  a  prudent  man,  having  his  lights 
burning,  and  shewed  great  presence  of  mind,  and  kindness  to 
the  captain  and  crew  of  the  schooner,  who  appeared  to  have 
been  asleep,  having  no  light.  I  can  never  forget  the  passion- 
ate and  aflfecting  prayer  of  the  captain  of  the  schooner,  and  my 
sorrowful  impressions,  when  I  heard  his  son,  about  two  and 
twenty  years  old,  was  drowned.  The  principal  injury  our  boat 
received  was  the  loss  of  six  or  seven  paddles  out  of  one  of  the 
wheels,  which,  retarding  our  progress,  we  did  not  arrive  at  the 
place  of  destination  till  daylight.  Our  horse  and  chair  being 
on  board,  we  proceeded  on  our  journey^  by  the  way  of  Wil- 
mington, to  Philadelphia. 

At  New  York  Yearly  Meeting  in  1822  I  sat  near  Gr.  W.,  a 
minister  from  England,  who  manifested  a  sociable  familiarity, 
and  expressed  a  wish  for  a  further  acquaintance  with  me,  in- 
viting me  to  dine  with  him,  but  I  thought  it  best  to  avoid  a 
particular  interview,  fearing  that  his  blunt  honesty  of  expres- 
sion and  my  hot-headed  Americanism  coming  in  contact  might 
make  bad  worse. 

I  have  no  recollection  of  any  thing  particular  occurring  at 
this  Yearly  Meeting,  yet  it  must  have  been  obvious  to  a  serious 
observer  of  the  signs  of  the  times,  that  there  were  too  many 
Friends  like  recruiting  officers,  trying  to  enlist  soldiers,  to 
strengthen  their  respective  armies,  and  perhaps  it  was  at  this 
meeting,  that  Joseph  Whitall  took  the  bounty,  and  enrolled 
himself  among  the  enemies  of  Elias  Hicks  and  his  friends;  and 
his  faithfulness  in  serving  his  party  has  been  such  that  his 
name  ought  to  be  handed  down  to  posterity. 

I  will  here  relate  a  circumstance  touching  my  dear  old  friend 
Elias  that  perhaps  is  but  little  known.  It  was  told  to  me  by 
our  cousin  Willet  Hicks,  and  goes  to  show  that  the  exercises, 
trials,  and  sufferings  of  great  and  good  men,  have  been  some- 
what similar  in  all  ages.     The  prophet  Elijah  was  brought  into 


104 

serious  exercise,  trial,  and  suffering,  when  pursued  by  a  com- 
bined force,  consisting  of  the  friends  of  false  prophets,  and 
apostate  Israelites,  led  on  by  an  extremely  wicked  woman. 
Strong  and  powerful  as  this  good  man  had  been,  when  wielding 
the  sword  of  the  Lord  among  Jezebel's  mercenary  hirelings, 
clear  as  was  the  ocular  demonstration  of  divine  power  when  he 
called  down  fire  from  heaven  on  the  Lord's  altar,  conclusively 
convincing  the  true  Israelites  that  God  was  on  their  side,  he 
was  comparatively  weak  when  he  sat  under  the  juniper  tree,  in 
the  wilderness,  requesting  to  die,  saying,  ''  It  is  enough,  now 
0  Lord  take  away  my  life,  for  I  am  no  better  than  my 
fathers/'  Quite  similar  was  the  situation  of  Elias  Hicks,  after 
a  select  quarterly  meeting  held  at  Westbury,  as  related  by 
Willet,  who  said  in  substance,  that  he  got  information  in  New 
York,  that  a  number  of  Elias's  old  friends  had  combined  with 
the  English,  and  perhaps  led  on  by  the  redoubtable  A.  B  ,  in- 
tended to  make  a  formidable  attack  on  him,  at  the  quarterly 
meeting  of  ministers  and  elders  next  held  at  Westbury.  The 
day  before  said  meeting  he  went  up  to  Jericho,  and  told  Elias 
what  he  might  expect.  But  the  old  man  was  not  willing  to 
believe  him;  could  not  think  it  possible  that  these  friends,  with 
whom  he  had  had  such  sweet  union  and  communion  from  his 
youth,  should  now  turn  against  him.  In  the  morning  Willet 
said  he  told  Elias's  wife,  who  was  an  elder,  that  he  wished  her 
to  go  to  meeting  with  some  other  friends,  as  he  intended  to 
take  Elias  in  his  carriage.  At  meeting  his  enemies  appeared 
in  battle  array,  as  Willet  had  predicted,  and  as  Elias  never 
turned  his  back  upon  an  enemy,  something  like  a  drawn  battle 
was  fought,  when,  as  it  often  happens,  especially  in  religious 
contests,  both  sides  claimed  the  victory.  Be  it  as  it  may,  Elias 
was  wounded,  and  as  soon  as  he  got  in  the  carriage  and  the 
glasses  were  put  up,  he  threw  himself  back  and  wept  like  a 
child,  uttering  a  language  like  that  of  the  Lord's  prophet.  I 
trust  he  was  comforted,  as  Elijah  was,  by  an  holy  angel.  In 
his  cousin  Willet,  at  least,  he  found  a  steady  sympathising  friend. 
On  the  next  day  in  the  general  quarterly  meeting  he  appeared 
strong  in  the  Lord. 

Having  exceeded  the  bounds  I  had  prescribed,  I  must  hasten 
to  a  close,  and  pass  over  many  things  that  might  be  interesting 
to  some,  only  mentioning  such  circumstances  as  seem  connected 
with  the  separation  in  society. 


105 

A  minister  I  have  alluded  to,  in  speaking  of  the  party  that 
was  formed  against  me  in  Middletown  Preparative  Meeting  of 
ministers  and  elders,  now  removed  to  another  State,  was  visit- 
ing our  meeting  on  the  morning  of  the  day  of  our  Monthly 
Meeting,  held  at  Makefield.  Not  knowing  that  a  stranger  was 
to  be  there,  I  was  exceedingly  worried  with  pretty  texts  of 
scripture  that  I  might  preach  upon.  I  say  worried,  because  I 
consider  it  a  temptation,  the  activity  and  contrivance  of  the 
woman  to  be  thinking  and  preparing  pretty  passages  of  scrip- 
ture ;  and  should  a  concern  be  got  up  to  preach  in  this  way,  it 
would  prove  to  be  only  a  mock  gospel. 

When  the  minister  had  got  through  his  service,  I  spoke  in 
substance  as  follows,  after  alluding  to  my  temptations  on  the 
way,  "  that  I  considered  the  Quaker  preacher  that  brought  his 
text  from  the  Bible  with  him  to  meeting,  made  up  to  preach 
from,  was  worse  than  the  hireling  who  brought  his  studied  ser- 
mon, because  he  was  a  hypocrite.^'  After  the  meeting  had 
proceeded  to  business,  the  minister  rose,  and  informed  the 
meeting  that  the  reason  why  he  had  not  brought  a  minute,  was 
owing  to  a  mistake  of  the  clerk,  and  then  went  on  to  speak  of 
the  severe  attack  that  had  been  made  upon  him.  When  he  sat 
down,  our  dear  friend  William  Taylor,  whose  name  I  shall 
always  refer  to  with  love  and  respect,  spoke  in  substance  as 
follows,  ^'  that  the  Friend  need  not  make  himself  uneasy  about 
not  having  a  minute,  that  he  was  glad,  he  was  with  us."  I 
united  with  my  friend  William,  and  we  passed  on  quietly. 
When  meeting  broke,  one  of  our  elders  came  to  me  and  ex- 
pressed his  astonishment  that  the  minister  should  have  taken 
offence  at  what  I  had  said,  for  he  should  never  have  thought  of 
such  a  thing,  had  he  not  fastened  it  on  himself.  Another 
elder,  who  was  better  acquainted,  said  he  had  expected  he  would 
kick.  I  was  told  afterwards  that  a  nephew  of  this  minister 
said  he  could  always  tell  what  his  uncle  was  going  to  preach  if 
he  could  only  look  over  his  shoulder  whilst  reading  the  Bible, 
before  he  went  to  meeting,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  he 
brought  his  text  if  not  his  sermon  with  him  that  morning. 

Notwithstanding  I  was  a  silent,  and  sometimes  sorrowful 
observer  of  the  affecting  scene,  I  was  at  times  a  little  amused 
at  the  art  and  ingenuity  of  our  English  ministers,  in  trying  to 
fasten  on  Elias  and  his  friends  the  denunciations  embraced  in 
Peter's  prophecy  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  priestcraft.     See 


106 

2d  Peter,  chap.  1,  ver.  1, 2,  3.  This  favorite  text  they  would 
apply  to  Elias  Hicks  and  his  friends  with  great  dexterity^ 
while  they  pronounced  the  words  '^  damnation  "  and  "  destruc- 
tion '^  with  the  violence  of  an  inquisitor. 

Ann  and  G-eorge  Jones,  with  a  strong  force  of  Orthodox 
Friends  from  Philadelphia,  attended  our  quarterly  meeting 
held  at  Middletown,  bearing  down  apparently  every  thing  be- 
fore them.  I  remember  they  threw  out  of  our  select  meeting 
a  recommendation  of  a  minister  from  Buckingham  Monthly 
Meeting,  and  one  of  the  orthodox  ministers  exultingly  declared 
that  he  saw  Satan  falling  as  a  star  from  Heaven.  The  general 
quarterly  meeting  endorsed  their  satisfaction  with  the  company 
of  George  and  Ann  Jones,  with  but  one  dissenting  voice,  and 
that  honest  Friend,  as  Willet  Hicks  called  him,  was  John 
Miller,  Jr.,  a  Friend  that  ought  to  be  remembered  and  re- 
spected by  Bucks  quarter  for  his  steady,  consistent  and  un- 
flinching faithfulness.  He  boldly  informed  the  meeting  that 
he  had  no  unity  with  the  company  nor  labors  of  Ann  Jones. 

The  signs  of  the  times,  as  respects  the  Society  of  Friends, 
were  now  of  a  serious  character.  Their  Jerusalem  was  no 
longer  a  quiet  habitation,  and  their  tabernacle  was  falling 
down ;  their  cords  were  growing  loose,  and  their  stakes  about 
to  be  removed,  and  where  the  glorious  Lord  had  appeared  to 
them,  as  a  place  of  broad  rivers  and  streams,  the  gallant  ships 
and  gallies  with  oars  kept  up  a  confused  noise  of  war. 

Tlie  English  Friends  spread  themselves  over  the  continent, 
and  wherever  they  went  they  separated  husbands  and  wives, 
parents  and  children,  brothers  and  sisters,  and  the  nearest  and 
dearest  friends.  And  I  think  I  may  add  with  safety,  that  in 
Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting  the  division  was  so  far  antici- 
pated, that  the  ecclesiastical  machinery  for  disowning  which 
had  operated  so  successfully  on  poor  Friends  in  Ireland,  was 
transported  to  America,  either  to  be  set  in  operation  here,  or 
to  be  a  pattern  for  a  new  machine  that  might  better  suit  this 
country.  Lawyers  were  feed,  and  civil  officers  employed. 
Such  appears  now  to  have  been  the  movements,  especially  of 
Orthodox  Friends,  preparatory  to  the  expected  struggle  at  the 
Yearly  Meeting  of  1827. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  second  month  of  this  year,  John 
Comly  came  to  see  me.  I  had  just  received  an  anonymous 
letter,  wherein  the  writer  mentioned  that  he  had  dreamed  that 


107 

lie  was  in  a  very  large  field,  which  had  been  planted  with  corn 
that  had  come  up,  and  grown  some  six  or  eight  inches,  bnt  a 
severe  frost  had  come  on  it,  and  it  was  wilting  down.  In  this 
large  field  he  thought  he  saw  me  very  industriously  at  work, 
trying  to  hold  up  the  corn  or  make  it  stand  straight.  He  said 
he  thought  in  his  dream  it  was  such  a  pity  for  me  to  be  spend- 
ing my  time  to  no  good  purpose,  that  he  tried  to  persuade  me 
to  give  it  up  and  leave  the  field.  But  he  said  he  thought  I 
answered,  I  was  determined  not  to  leave  the  field  until  I  tried 
to  save  some  of  the  corn.  This  is  as  near  as  I  can  remember 
the  substance  of  the  letter  which  I  afterwards  found  was 
written  by  a  singular  man,  and  a  man  of  learning,  not  a  mem- 
ber of  our  society.  This  letter  I  shewed  to  John  Comly, 
when  he  remarked  in  substance,  that  the  letter  appeared  to  be 
significant,  and  might  bear  a  construction  of  some  importance. 
However,  there  was  one  thing  appeared  to  him  certain,  that 
society  was  in  danger  of  being  scattered,  and  that  something 
ought  to  be  done  immediately  to  preserve  and  keep  us  togeth- 
er, and  that  he  wished  to  consult  with  some  friends,  as  to  the 
proper  steps  to  be  taken,  for  if  he  was  not  mistaken,  the  next 
Yearly  Meeting  would  be  an  eventful,  if  not  an  awful  time. 
That  he  had  no  idea  that  it  would  be  best  to  contend  much 
with  the  party  that  seemed  determined  to  rule,  and  bear  down 
every  thing  before  them,  but  to  prepare  for  a  peaceable  and 
quiet  retreat. 

Finding  that  John  was  under  great  discouragement,  I 
thought  to  cheer  him  up  a  little,  by  telling  him  that  he  re- 
minded me  of  Lucian  in  the  Roman  Senate,  when  Caesar,  with 
a  powerful  army,  was  approaching  Rome  to  destroy 
the  last  vestige  of  the  republic ;  referring  to  the  dread- 
ful struggle  that  they  had  made  for  liberty,  and  the  ter- 
rible destruction  of  the  lives  of  men,  ''  he  confessed  his 
thoughts  were  turned  on  peace,  and  it  was  time  to  sheathe  the 
sword  and  spare  mankind;  that  it  was  not  Cjssar  but  the 
Gods  he  feared. ^^  x\nd  while  I  certainly  ought  to  prefer  the 
peaceful  and  Christian-like  spirit  of  John  Comly,  I  was  too 
much  like  Semphronius,  another  Senator,  whose  voice  was 
still  for  war. 

A  day  or  two  after  this,  Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting  was  held 
at  Wrightstown,  at  which  was  Elizabeth  Robson,  and,  of 
course,  a  number  of  her  Orthodox  friends.     I  have  norecol- 


lection  of  what  she  said.  I  only  know  that  the  meeting  would 
not  endorse  her  certificate,  and  that  I  made  what  the  Ortho- 
dox called  a  flaming  speech,  consisting  of  false  statements  and 
downright  lies,  and  in  substance  was  as  follows  :  '^From  the 
best  information  I  am  in  possession  of,  Friends  are  on  the  de- 
cline in  England,  and  there  must  be  a  cause  for  this  effect. 
That  if  I  was  not  mistaken  in  my  information,  there  was,  at 
the  close  of  the  seventeenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
centuries,  seven  hundred  meetings  of  Friends  in  England,  Ire- 
land, Scotland  and  Wales,  and  now  they  would  scarcely  num- 
ber four  hundred,  and  many  of  them  are  mere  skeletons,  as  is 
abundantly  confirmed  by  Samuel  Smith  and  Sarah  Harrison. 
Samuel  says  he  was  at  two  Quarterly  Meetings,  one  of  them 
consisted  of  twelve  men  and  boys,  and  the  other  of  eight;  and 
Sarah  speaks  of  one  still  less.  Now  there  must  be  a  cause  for 
this  sorrowful  effect,  and  if  I  am  not  mistaken  the  cause  em- 
anated from  the  British  hierarchy,  that  dark,  strong  hold  of 
anti-Christ,  whose  deluded  votaries,  like  Balac,  taught  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  to  partake  of  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  joining 
Bible  societies.  Missionary  societies,  and  other  popular  institu- 
tions set  up  in  the  self-will  of  man;  in  consequence  of  which 
I  fear  there  has  been  a  decline  in  our  religious  meetings  in 
the  kingdom  of  England,  at  the  ratio  of  more  than  two  meet- 
ings a  year,  for  the  last  hundred  years.  And  happy  would  it 
have  been  for  Friends  in  America,  could  that  evil  genius  that 
is  producing  such  sad  effects,  have  been  kept  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  But  alas!  it  has  not  only  landed 
on  our  shores,  but  found  a  residence  in  our  populous  cities, 
where  there  is  fulness  of  bread  and  abundance  of  idleness, 
and  if  I  am  not  mistaken  in  my  impressions,  is  now  forming 
in  the  dark  a  piece  of  ecclesiastical  machinery,  which,  if  suf- 
fered to  go  into  full  operation,  will  sap  the  foundations  of  our 
religious  liberty.  Let  then  the  descendants  of  the  worthy 
companions  of  the  excellent  William  Penn,  stand  firm  as 
Christian  soldiers  in  defence  of  the  sacred  boon,  religious  li- 
bertv,  purchased  at  the  expense  of  the  blood  and  sufferings  of 
their  honorable  progenitors.'^  Such  was  the  substance,  if  not 
the  very  words,  that  were  spoken,  which  offended  the  Orthodox, 
and  alarmed  my  dear  friend  John  Comly. 

Next  day  Elizabeth  Robson  had  an  appointed  meeting  at  New- 
ton, which  was  attended  by  a  number  of  her   friends.     After 


109 

meeting,  I  went  and  spoke  to  her,  and  something  like  the  fol- 
lowing conversation  took  place.     I  said,  "  Will  Elizabeth  Rob- 
son  go^home  with  Edward  Hicks  and  take  some  dinner?"     She 
replied,  ''  1  understand  Edward  Hicks  is  very  much  opposed  to 
English  Friends."     I  answered,    ''  Edward  Hicks  professes  to 
be  a  Christian,  and  consequently,  ought  to  be  a  gentleman,  and 
treat  English  as  well  as  American  Friends  kindly,  especially  at 
his    own  house ;  come  and    see.''     She    replied,   "  If  Edward 
Hicks  professes  to  be  a  Christian  and  a  gentlemen,  I  confess  I 
am  at  a  loss  to  reconcile  his  false  statements  yesterday."  I  said, 
if  she  would  convince  me  that  I  had  made  statements   which 
were  not  true,  I  would  make   a  public   acknowledgment,  but 
until  she  had  done  so,  I  must  be  indulged  in   believing  I  was 
correct.     Christopher  Healy  said,  he   did  not  see  how  I   could 
make  any  acknowledgment  that  would   satisfy  Friends,  for  my 
false  declaration  was  made  in  so  large   a  Quarterly   Meeting. 
Elizabeth  said,  that   one  thing  I  said   was  undoubtedly  false ; 
that  Friends  in  England  were  members  of  missionary  societies. 
I  asked  her  if  they  were  not  members  of  Bible  societies  ?     She 
said  they  were,  and  she  gloried  in  it.    I  then    told  her,  that  I 
had  always  understood  that  those  two  societies  were  so  insepa- 
rably connected,  that  to  be  directly  a  member  of  one,  would  be 
indirectly   a  member  of  the  other ;   for  the  one   furnished  the 
books,  and  the  other  the  men   to  spread  them  abroad.     Eliza- 
beth said  there  was  another  statement  which  I  made  that  was 
not  true ;  I  said  Friends  in  England  were  on  the   decline,     I 
told  her  if  I  was  wrong  in    that   statement,  I  was  indebted  to 
her  countryman,  Thomas  Clarkson,  for  the  mistake,  for  I  un- 
derstood him  to  say  that  Friends  in  England  were  on  the   de- 
cline, and   he  was  sorry  for  it.     When  Elizabeth  seemed  dis- 
posed to  doubt  my  word,  I  told  her  I  would  bring  the  book  and 
she  might  see  for  hrself.     Her  friend  seemed  willing  now  to 
end  the  controversy  by  taking  her  away. 

I  do  not  entertain  a  hard  feeling  towards  Elizabeth  Robson, 
and  am  far  from  wishing  to  charge  her  with  acting  unlady-like. 
She  no  doubt  believed  she  was  right,  but  was  deficient  in  infor- 
mation. 

Her  companion,  Bartholomew  Wister,  was  not  so  fortunate 
in  his  disposition,  but  like  Peter,  (considering  me  as  an  enemy 
to  the  outward  person  of  the  Saviour,)  he  waxed  wroth  and 
tried  to  cut   off  my  right  ear,  or  in  other  words,  destroy  my 

9 


110 

character  as  a  man  of  truth ;  saying  at  the  time,  as  he  stood  be- 
hind me  in  a  supercilious,  sneering  manner,  '^  there,  don't  lie," 
"dont  lie  ;"  and  afterwards  posted  me  as  a  public  liar.  But  I 
humbly  trust  that,  like  Peter,  he  was  reproved  by  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  and  ordered  to  put  up  that  sword  he  then  wielded,  in  its 
sheath,  and  is  now  with  Peter  in  the  mansions  of  everlasting 
light  and  love. 

B.  W.  was  the  son  of  dear  John  Wister,  of  Salem,  N.  J.,  a 
prince  and  father  in  our  Israel,  and  an  elder  worthy  of  double 
honor. 

John  Comly,  having  no  hope  left  of  the  preservation  of  our 
Yearly  Meeting  from  being  scattered  and  peeled,  but  according 
to  his  peaceable  plan,  pursued  his  prospect  as  truth  opened  the 
way,  he  being  a  minister  in  good  esteem,  and  was  no  doubt 
the  instrument  made  use  of  by  the  head  of  the  Church,  to  se- 
cure that  peaceable  retreat  and  re-organization  that  saved  the 
great  body  of  Friends,  constituting  the  Yearly  Meeting  of 
Philadelphia,  from  being  scattered  to  the/ow?-  icinds  of  heaven  ; 
and  however  abused  and  misrepresented  he  may  be  by  the 
Orthodox  party,  if  ever  truth  triumphs  over  delusion,  his  name 
will  stand  upon  the  pages  of  the  history  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  inseparably  connected  with  the  blessing  of  the  peace- 
maker. Meanwhile  the  English  and  royal  Americans  —among 
whom  the  names  of  Jonathan  Evans  and  Samuel  Settle  should 
stand  conspicuous — were  pursuing  a  j^olicy  as  cold  and  as  cruel 
as  the  British  cabinet  or  administration  of  1775,  when  that 
illustrious  statesman,  William  Pitt,  charged  them  with  ex- 
tending their  cold  cunning  traffic  to  the  shambles  of  the  Ger- 
man despot,  and  cruelly  hiring  the  merciless  Indians  to  set 
them  as  bloodhounds  on  their  Protestant  brethren,  endeared  to 
them  by  every  tie  that  could  sanctify  humanity.  So  these 
English  and  American  Quakers,  I  fear,  were  trafficking  the 
funds  of  society,  for  the  services  of  the  most  distinguished  law- 
yers— those  ravens  who  will  croak  the  loudest  for  those  who 
can  give  them  the  most  of  their  favorite  food,  money.  These 
hirelings,  together  with  the  hireling  priests,  that  I  shall  allego- 
rically  call  the  bloodhounds  of  religious  persecution,  appear  to 
be  the  formidable  auxiliaries,  employed  by  Orthodox  Friends, 
to  prosecute  and  persecute  their  Quaker  brethren  and  sisters, 
endeared  to  them  by  every  tie  that  ought  to  bind  together  the 
professors  of  Christianity. 


Ill  .     I 

i 

The  eventful  and  afflictive  Yearly  Meeting  of  1827  arrived,         ] 
and  although  I  had  been  opposed  to  an}^  thing  that  might  lead  | 

to  a  division  in  society,  still  hoping  there  was  unity  enough  in  ! 

the  meeting  to  preserve  it,  I  saw  on  the  first  sitting  of  the  ] 

meeting  of  ministers  and  elders,  to  my  great  sorrow,  that  it  was  j 

a  hopeless  case,  and  told  John  Comly  so  immediately  after  the         j 
meeting  adjourned. 

I  will  now  quote  that  powerful  ecclesiastical  historian,  John 
Lawrence  Mosheim.     "  The  prelate  that  ruled  the  see  of  Alex- 
andria at  this  time  was  Cyril,  a  man  of  a  haughty,  turbulent, 
and  imperious  temper,  and  painfully  jealous  of  the  rising  power 
and  authority  of  the  Bishop    of   Constantinople/'     The  elder 
that  ruled  the  select  Yearly   Meeting  of  Philadelphia  at  this 
time,  was  Jonathan  Evans,  a  man  whose  constitutional  charac-         ■ 
ter  was  exactly  answerable  to  the  above  description,  and  was         j 
as  painfully  jealous  of  the  rising  popularity    and    influence    of         : 
Elias  Hicks  and  John  Comly,  and  having  pledged  himself  to         j 
his  party  to  carry  through  their  favorite  measure    of  getting  a         | 
committee  of  their  own,  he  did  it    with  a  violence  that  pros-         \ 
trated  the  common  order  and  decency  hitherto  observed  in  those         | 
meetings.     This  committee  of  ministers  and  elders  was  to  act         ^ 
for  them,  like  the  grand  jury  in  our  courts  of  justice.     They         , 
were  to  find  the  bill  of  indictment   for   heresy,   against  every         | 
minister  and  elder  that  was   not    of  their  party  in  the  Yearly 
Meeting ;  and    another   committee    appointed    in   the  general         | 
Yearly  Meeting — which,  by  the  way,   turned  out  to  be  pretty         ' 
much  the  same  Friends — were  to  go  down  to  all  the  Monthly         | 
Meetings,  clothed  with  the    executive  power  of  the    Yearly         ■ 
Meeting,  for  disowning,  by  which  the  anathema  they  had  pre-         , 
pared  was  to  be  efi"ectually  hurled  at  the  head  of  John  Comly         j 
and  his  friends.  '■ 

Hence  the  miniature  likeness  of  the  man  and  measures  that 
triumphed  at  the  third  general  council  of  the  Church  held  at  Eph- 
esus,  A.  D.  431.  After  referring  the  reader  to  the  account  of 
this  Yearly  Meeting,  given  by  James  Cockburn,  I  think  my- 
self happy  that  I  can  contrast  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  John 
Comly,  and  his  friends,  who  met  at  Green  street,  Philadelphia, 
at  the  close  of  this  Yearly  Meeting,  with  John  of  Antioch  and 
the  other  eastern  Bishops,  for  whom  Cyril  had  refused  to  wait,  i 
when  they  met  at  Ephesus,  and  pronounced  against  him  and  j 
Memnon,  the  Bishop  of  that  city,  who  was  his   creature,  as        ] 


112 

severe  a  sentence  as  they  had  thundered  against  Nestorius.  I 
say,  I  think  myself  happy  that  I  can  state  the  fact  that  Friends 
that  had  met  at  Green  street,  thundered  no  anathemas  against 
their  Orthodox  brethren  and  sisters,  pronounced  no  severe  sen- 
tence against  Jonathan  Evans  and  Samuel  Bettle,  but  only 
gave  forth  an  humble  exposition  of  the  causes  that  led  to  the 
step  they  had  taken ;  embracing  a  mild  remonstrance  against 
the  proceedings  of  the  late  Yearly  Meeting,  with  a  view  to  its 
re-organization  through  its  constituent  branches.  And  where- 
soever the  precepts  and  example  of  Jesus  Christ  are  loved  and 
obeyed  throughout  the  Society  of  Friends,  this  important  step 
taken  by  Friends  at  Grreen  street,  will  be  told  as  a  memorial  of 
them ;  and  had  they  kept  to  the  Christian  meekness  that  they 
then  manifested,  putting  no  confidence  in  the  arm  of  flesh, 
feeing  no  lawyers,  entering  no  courts  of  justice,  only  when 
compelled  by  law,  and  when  dragged  there  by  their  enemies — 
had  they  kept  to  the  example  of  their  blessed  Saviour,  having 
nothing  to  do  with  the  political  concerns  of  the  kingdoms  of 
this  world,  carefully  avoiding  all  the  unsettling  speculations 
and  popular  delusions  that  have  distracted  society — they  would 
have  stood  now  as  a  city  set  on  a  hill,  that  could  not  be  hid; 
and  thousands  of  the  precious  visited  lambs  would  have  left  the 
barren  mountains  of  empty  profession,  and  flocked  as  doves  to 
the  ark  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  ratified  by  the  blood  of  a 
Saviour,  whose  arm,  as  the  great  antitype  of  Noah,  would 
have  been  put  forth  for  their  reception  ]  while  their  enemies, 
like  the  followers  of  the  redoubtable  George  Keith,  might  have 
afforded  a  richer  harvest  for  those  preachers  for  hire,  and 
diviners  for  money,  whose  God  is  their  belly,  and  whose  glory 
is  their  shame.  But  alas  !  how  I  have  been  discouraged  to 
see  my  dear  friends  continue  so  unsettled,  even  after  the  storm 
had  subsided,  ready  to  catch  at  every  bubble  floating  on  the 
surface,  blown  by  any  and  every  conceited  speculator,  even  of 
the  most  trifling  cast. 

The  first  of  it  I  noticed  was  so  many  Friends  that  were  hon- 
orable farmers,  and  useful  mechanics,  wanting  to  be  doctors ; 
purchasing  a  patent  right  for  twenty  dollars,  and,  after  reading 
a  few  books  a  few  weeks,  undertake  their  new  mode  of  making 
money,  by  trying  experiments  on  suiFering  humanity. 

Now  it  grieved  me  to  see,  as  I  did  in  my  own  neighborhood, 
a  plain  Friend,  and  practical  farmer,  getting  a  sulkey  with  a 


113 

steaming  hox  and  long  wliip,  and  go  cracking  Doctor  along  the 
road.  And  to  cap  the  climax  of  absurdity,  he  fell  into  the 
abominable  Nicolatian  practice — leaving  his  wife,  the  object  of 
his  youthful  affection,  the  mother  of  his  children,  and  taking 
a  young  woman  in  her  place,  plunged  into  the  abyss  of  ruin  in 
property  and  character,  and  I  fear  body  and  soul. 

Another  amiable  Friend,  who  then  lived  in  this  town,  a  use- 
ful and  ingenious  mechanic,  caught  the  same  restless  mania, 
and  would  be  a  Doctor  in  spite  of  all  I  could  say  to  him  ;  and 
in  one  of  his  unfortunate  experiments  upon  a  neighboring 
young  woman,  she  died  under  the  operation,  which  so  incensed 
the  people  against  him,  he  sold  out  and  left  us ;  and  within  the 
last  year  I  was  invited  to  meet  with  his  neighbors,  who  assem- 
bled to  attend  his  remains  to  an  untimely  grave,  and  sympa- 
thize with  a  distracted  widow  and  helpless  children. 

Yet  these  and  such  as  these,  were,  and  are,  encouraged  in 
their  folly  by  Friends  of  high  standing,  ministers  and  elders. 
Indeed,  one  of  our  elders  told  me,  in  substance,  that  the  first 
of  the  two  alluded  to  above,  was  so  great  a  Doctor  that  he  never 
lost  a  patient. 

I  am  certainly  not  prepared  to  condemn  the  Thomsonian 
system  of  medicine,  for  it  may  be,  for  aught  I  know,  the  best ; 
but  as  a  believer  in  the  religion  of  Jesus  CJirisf,  whose  design 
and  end  is  to  make  us  consistent,  reasonable  beings — as  a  patri- 
otic American  citizen,  who  sincerely  desires  the  present  as 
well  as  the  everlasting  welfare  of  my  fellow  creatures — I  feel  it 
my  duty  to  bear  a  faithful  testimony  against  such  abominable 
presumption  and  ignorance. 

As  to  the  old  established  system  of  medical  practice  as  it  now 
stands  among  us,  I  verily  believe  it  to  be  one  of  the  greatest 
impositions  among  Christians,  and  in  the  lower  section  of 
Bucks  County,  is  worse  than  priest-craft.  Instance  their  in- 
fluence over  silly  women,  male  and  female,  in  every  family 
where  they  attend ;  instance,  too,  their  influence  over  our  law- 
makers, so  as  to  have  their  wages  secured,  if  the  miller,  the 
butcher,  the  storekeeper,  shoe  maker,  and  even  the  very  nurse, 
gets  nothing ;  instance,  too,  their  influence  in  so  changing  the 
customs  of  society,  as  to  monopolize  a  species  of  surgery,  that, 
taken  in  connection  with  their  enormous  fees,  ought  to  furnish 
a  monument  to  their  shame.  But  what  can  we  expect  from  a 
set  of  hard  hearted  unbelievers,  as  I  verily  believe  they  are, 


114 

taking  them  in  the  aggregate;  for  the  very  manner  in  which 
they  are  educated  and  prepared  for  their  business^  is  calculated 
to  destroy  all  the  finer  feelings  of  a  virtuous  youth. 

If  one  half  of  what  I  have  heard  of  young  Doctors  he  true^ 
from  what  I  have  known  myself  of  both  young  and  old,  I  would 
sooner  follow  a  son  of  mine  to  his  grave,  with  an  unshaken 
evidence  that  he  had  died  a  true  believer  in  Jesus  Christ,  than 
to  follow  him  to  the  study  of  medicine  in  its  present  unchristian 
form. 

Yet  these  are  the  men  who  are  called  upon  to  be  our  com- 
panions in  a  dying  hour,  when  our  souls  as  well  as  our  bodies 
are  agonizing  in  their  pain,  and  the  strong  and  tender  ties  of 
natural  affection  are  to  be  broken,  attended  with  all  the  fearful 
apprehensions  of  an  after  state ;  when  the  sun,  the  moon,  the 
stars,  and  every  constellation  of  heaven,  is  sinking  into  ever- 
lasting obscui-ity — yea,  the  very  heavens  themselves  seem  rolling 
together  as  a  scroll,  and  eternity  presenting  to  our  view  ;  when 
of  all  other  times  we  need  the  Christian's  sympathy,  the  prayer 
of  faith  and  living  aspiration,  by  which  the  humble,  tender- 
hearted, childlike  disciple  anoints  our  poor  sin-sick  souls — we 
are  surrounded  by  a  set  of  consulting  Doctors,  as  selfish,  hard- 
hearted, and  I  fear  as  cruel,  as  the  witnesses  to  the  dying  ago- 
nies of  a  suffering  Saviour.  And  should  we,  like  hirn,  cry  out, 
^'  My  God  !  My  God  I  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?"  we  can 
expect  nothing  from  such  attendants  but  vinegar  mingled  with 
gall. 

And  as  if  the  great  Author  of  Nature  was  not  sufi&cient,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  noblest  and  loveliest  work-women,  for 
their  own  business,  tyrant  custom  shamefully  introduces  these 
men  into  the  presence  of  oui*  wives,  our  daughters,  and  our 
mothers,  at  a  time  when  they  seldom  want  more  than  the  pro- 
tection of  their  Heavenly  Father,  and  the  sympathy  and  assist- 
ance of  their  female  friends.  And  what  aggravates  this 
ridiculous  custom,  after  their  shameful  attendance  and  partial 
assistance  for  an  hour  or  two,  they  have  the  effrontery  unjustly 
to  charge  and  accept  from  five  to  fifty,  and  even  a  hundred  dol- 
lars; while  the  poor  woman  that  has  endured  the  toils  of  a 
wearisome  day,  and  had  scarcely  closed  her  eyes  on  her  hum- 
ble pillow  before  she  was  called  to  the  assistance  of  her  neigh 
bor,  spends  the  whole  night  in  the  most  assiduous  attentions, 
and  would  feel  herself  insulted  if  she  was  offered  moncyas  a 
compensation  for  her  kindness. 


116 

I  know  just  such  a  woman  now  in  our  borough^  whose 
meritorious  usefulness  makes  her  worthy  of  double  honor,  and 
were  it  not  for  awakening  those  mean,  insignificant  passions^ 
jealousy  and  envi/y  I  would  record  her  name,  in  hopes  that  it 
might  be  handed  down  to  posterity.  But  suffice  it  to  say,  she 
is  a  Deborah  indeed,  a  mother  in  Israel,  a  blessing  to  the  neigh- 
borhood where  she  liyes,  and  an  honor  to  her  family  and 
friends. 

Ah,  dear,  lovely  woman  !  I  sincerely  wish  she  had  a  more 
efficient  advocate  for  her  rights,  and  a  more  powerful  and  avail- 
ing redresser  of  her  wrongs  ;  but  she  has  my  little  mite,  which 
I  can  assure  her  comes  sincerely  from  the  very  bottom  of  my 
heart. 

One  more  statement  of  unpleasant  facts  about  these  Doctors, 
and  then  I  hope  I  will  be  done  finding  fault  with  them. 

Some  of  them  profess  to  be  religious,  and  I  fear  too  often 
enter  the  sick  room  consummate  hypocrites — manifesting  in 
their  address  suavity  and  tenderness,  while  cursed  self  is  coldly 
calculating  how  much  money  they  will  make  out  of  their  pa- 
tient, which  is  proven  from  the  enormous  bills  that  are  too 
often  produced  to  the  executor  or  administrator,  by  which  the 
poor  man's  widow  and  children  are  in  one  sense  robbed — while 
at  the  same  time,  the  religious  Doctor  can  support  a  hireling 
priest  or  keep  a  forte  piano. 

They  profess  to  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  hum- 
ble carpenter  of  Nazareth,  and  prove  themselves  hypocrites  by 
their  practice,  in  which  they  neither  obey  his  precepts,  nor  fol- 
low his  example.  I  read  that  he  told  his  disciples  to  do  good 
and  lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again ;  but  I  never  read  that  he 
commanded  them  to  make  money  out  of  suffering  humanity. 
I  read  of  this  heavenly  physician  doctoring  in  the  family  of  a 
very  rich  Roman  military  officer,  but  I  never  read  of  his  send- 
ing in  a  bill  of  two  or  three  hundred  dollars,  but  understand 
from  the  Scripture,  that  he  was  amply  paid  by  the  Christian 
faith  and  humility  manifested  by  the  centurion,  and  gave  him 
the  following  receipt  in  full  of  all  demands — '^  I  have  not  found 
so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel.^'  I  read  of  Peter  and  Paul 
performing  divers  cures  of  inveterate  and  afflicting  diseases, 
and  relieving  poor  suffering  men  and  women,  but  I  always  un- 
derstood from  the  Scriptures  of  Truth — or  what  some  call  ^^the 
Word  of  God'' — they  did  it  without  money  and  without  price, 


116 

and  ministered  to  their  own  necessities  and  them  that  were 
with  them,  by  the  labor  of  their  own  hands. 

I  will  now  ask  those  Doctors  that  profess  to  be  Christians^ 
especially  members  of  the'  religious  Society  of  Friends,  whether 
they  can  find  an  argument  in  the  Scriptures  in  their  favor ; 
that  is,  in  favor  of  tnaking  a  mercenary  concern  of  relieving 
the  sufferings  of  their  fellow  creatures,  that  would  not  equally 
support  a  hireling  ministry — and  whether  the  two  professions, 
as  respects  the  practice  of  both  Doctors  of  divinity  and  Doctors 
of  medicine,  are  not  a  great  imposition  upon  society,  and  call 
loudly  for  reform  ?  '^  Hireling  ministry,"  said  H.  Gr.  0.,  while 
mayor  of  the  city  of  Boston,  to  my  friend  J.  F.,  '^  is  the  gTcat- 
est  curse  and  darkest  cloud  that  hangs  over  Christendom." 
"  It  is  contrary  to  my  interest,"  says  Doctor  Belville,  late  of 
the  city  of  Trenton,  one  of  the  greatest  physicians  in  the 
United  States,  to  my  friend  S.  C,  "but  you  may  depend  upon 
it  that  we  Doctors  are  the  greatest  imposition  upon  the  public, 
and  are  shamefully  living  upon  poor,  weak,  credulous  people." 
The  late  Nicholas  Waler,  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  afterwards 
an  eminent  minister  of  the  Gospel,  declared  in  a  public  meeting- 
held  in  London,  "that  the  priests,  the  doctors,  and  the  lawyers, 
were  the  deceivers  of  mankind."  Seeing,  then,  that  men  of 
the  greatest  knowledge  and  experience,  unite  with  the  illiterate 
mechanic,  that  priest  craft  and  doctor  craft  are  shameful  im- 
positions upon  Christians,  and  a  sad  evil  in  the  land,  I  will 
offer  for  the  serious  consideration  of  Friends  and  others,  the 
following  proposition,  as  a  remedy  or  prescription  for  the 
disease : 

Let  all  Christian  parents,  g-uardians,  and  heads  of  families, 
consider  themselves  as  delegated  shepherds,  under  the  Great 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls,  charged  with  the  care  of  a  flock 
of  lambs,  in  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  and  for  whose  present 
and  everlasting  welfare  they  are  in  a  certain  degree  responsi- 
ble, and  will  have  to  answer  it  before  the  tribunal  of  final 
judgment.  This  awful  consideration  will  beget  a  religious 
concern  to  bring  their  children,  even  in  their  infancy,  to  Christ, 
that  he  may  lay  his  hands  upon  them,  and  bless  them,  answer- 
able to  the  concern  of  those  parents  we  read  of  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. This  can  most  assuredly  now  be  done  by  praying  to 
Christ,  as  an  omnipresent  Saviour,  a  quickening  spirit,  that 
hath  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  has  promised  and 


117 

will  undoubtedly  fulfil  it,  "Whatsoever  you  ask  in  my  name, 
I  will  do  it/^  This  name  is  the  poicer  and  quickening  spirit 
of  all  fervent  and  effectual  prayer.  Such  as  are  thus  exercised 
will  he  kind,  affectionate,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another, 
and  be  the  happy  instruments  of  kindling  on  the  altar  of  the 
child's  heart,  the  same  devotional  flame  that  glows  within  their 
own  breast. 

Thus  the  dear  rising  youth  of  America  may  be  brought  into 
the  true  sheep  fold,  and  hear  the  voice  of  the  Heavenly  Shep- 
herd, who  has  promised  he  will  give  unto  them  eternal  life, 
and  none  shall  pluck  them  out  of  his  hand.  '^  My  sheep  they 
hear  my  voice  and  follow  me,  but  the  voice  of  a  stranger  they 
will  not  follow.^'  Hence  the  next  generation  of  men  and  women 
will  see  through  the  sheepskins  upon  those  ravening  wolves,  a 
proud,  pompous,  mercenary  priesthood  will  sink  undistin- 
guished into  the  common  mass  of  the  people,  and  this  dark 
cloud  and  curse  of  Christendom  be  seen  no  more  for  ever. 

Let  the  present  rising  generation,  both  male  and  female,  be 
well  educated  in  useful  knowledge,  to  fit  them  for  useful 
business,  and  let  all  scholastic  learning  that  is  merely  orna- 
mental be  dispensed  with,  and  substitute  in  its  place  the  sub- 
stantial parts  of  the  science  of  medicine,  particularly  anatomy 
and  botany.  Let  this  be  taught  by  competent  male  and  female 
teachers. 

It  can  give  but  little  satisfaction  to  tell  our  poor  suffering 
fellow  creatures  about  inetapliysical  abstractions.  But  to  be 
able  to  tell  them  concerning  their  ^:>%s?'ca^  structure,  how  fear- 
fully and  wonderfully  they  are  made,  and  what  part  of  their 
complicated  system  is  disordered,  occasioning  their  suffering, 
and  that  there  is  a  remedy  provided  by  a  merciful  Heavenly 
Father  and  physician,  in  the  inexhaustible  resources  of  the 
mineral  and  vegetable  productions  of  the  earth — is  an  attain- 
ment worthy  of  our  pursuit. 

This  important  knowledge  being  instilled  into  our  dear  chil- 
dren at  school,  will  ripen  when  they  come  to  maturity,  and 
when  they  enter  upon  the  stage  of  active  life,  to  mingle  with 
their  elder  brethren  and  sisters  in  the  social  and  relative  duties, 
they  will  come  forth  as  W  illiam  Penn  said  of  George  Fox,  good 
neighbors,  good  physicians,  and  consistent  Christians,  all  of 
G-od  Almighty's  own  making.  Or  in  other  words,  those  noble, 
rational  beings,  both  male  and  female,  that  the  Great  Author 


118 

of  nature  liath  endowed  with  the  requisite  qualifications  for 
physicians  and  surgeons,  will  take  their  proper  places  in  society 
and  shine  as  stars;  while  the  children  of  avarice  and  the 
nurslings  of  pride  and  ambition,  will  be  compelled  from  ne- 
cessity to  labor  with  their  own  hands,  undistinguished  in  their 
respective  channels  of  usefulness. 

Then,  in  every  neighborhood,  there  will  be  raised  up  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  such  physicians  and  surgeons,  both  male  and 
female,  that  would  enter  the  house  of  sickness  and  affliction 
like  good  neighbors  do  now,  with  the  tear  of  Christian  sympa- 
thy in  their  eyes,  and  the  noble,  benevolent  spirit  of  the  Gospel 
in  their  hearts;  spirits  that  would  be  wounded  in  the  house 
of  their  friends,  were  money  offered  them  as  a  compensation 
for  their  services,  and  should  even  the  selfish  thought  steal  into 
their  heart,  they  would  turn  it  out  as  a  temptation  of  the 
devil. 

I  am  glad  I  can  speak  experimentally  of  such  kind  neigh- 
bors. Some  eight  or  ten  years  sine?,  my  family  was  afflicted 
with  sickness.  My  wife  was  a  cripple  in  both  of  ber  hands, 
my  son  and  three  daughters  were  sick,  two  of  them  sadly  so. 
Indeed  one  of  them  was  so  nearly  gone  that  there  was  scarcely 
a  hope  of  her  recovery  left.  Ah,  it  was  then  I  could  appre- 
ciate the  value  of  those  noble  women,  who  are  a  blessing  to 
every  neighborhood  where  they  reside.  With  what  tenderness 
and  devotion  did  they  attend  upon  my  poor  sick  daughters,  by 
day  and  by  night.  There  was  one  young  woman,  whose  name 
I  can  never  recur  to  but  with  feelings  of  love  and  gratitude,  a 
name  that  I  would  record,  were  it  not  that  there  were  so  many 
like  her,  who  may  see  this  account  and  be  tempted  to  feelings 
of  jealousy,  that  great  destroyer  of  female  happiness.  It  was 
then  I  saw  what  our  Lord  embraced  in  one  of  his  sayings, 
^'  There  are  last  that  shall  be  first,  and  first  last  ;''  out  of  four 
brothers-in-law,  that  lived  no  great  distance,  the  younger — a 
strong  powerful  looking  man,  with  his  constitutional  fondness 
for  fun  and  frolic  marked  in  the  lines  and  configuration  of  his 
face,  often  called  to  offer  his  services,  and  I  can  never  forget 
that  dear  brother  the  morning  we  thought  one  of  our  daughters 
was  near  her  end.  His  strong  masculine  countenance  was 
melted  into  more  than  female  softness,  and  something  like  the 
angel  of  mercy  and  goodness  reflected  from  the  tear  that  stood 
in  his  eye,  while  his  manly  bosom  heaved  with  sympathetic 


119 

feelings  too  big  to  be  uttered.  This  man  though  he  made  no 
profession  of  religion  at  that  time,  gaye  abundant  evidence  that 
he  was  influenced  by  brotherly  kindness,  one  of  the  highest 
perfections  of  a  Christian.  I  would  rather  have  such  a  man 
to  nurse  me,  when  sick,  and  help  me  when  not  able  to  help 
myself,  than  any  other  kind  in  our  neighborhood.  Such  men 
as  these  I  have  known  in  every  place  where  I  have  lived  for 
forty-five  years;  and  many  of  them  poor  men,  who  have  to 
maintain  a  large  family  by  the  labor  of  their  own  hands,  after 
working  hard  all  day,  would  be  sent  for  to  go  many  miles  to 
sit  up  with  the  sick  all  night,  because  of  their  superior  skill, 
attention,  and  kindness.  These  men  would  feel  themselves  in- 
sulted if  they  were  offered  money  for  their  services. 

Now  I  want  physicians  and  surgeons  made  of  such  men  as 
these,  and  such  women  as  were  before  alluded  to,  who  are 
benefactors  and  blessings  to  their  fellow  creatures.  And  this 
in  the  way  I  have  proposed,  appears  to  me  to  be  the  only  means 
that  can  break  up  eifectually  the  shameful  imposition  of  doctor 
craft,  which  in  its  present  form  and  practice  is  a  disgrace  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity. 

I  am  now  glad  I  can  record  some  honorable  exceptions  to 
the  above  severe  strictures  on  Doctors. 

Whilst  my  family  was  sick,  my  wife  was  anxious  to  see  Doc- 
tor Parrish.  I  wrote  him  a  few  lines  touching  the  affliction, 
stating  that  one  of  my  daughters  appeared  near  the  gates  of 
death,  and  mentioning  the  particular  desire  of  my  wife  to  see 
him.  About  this  time  I  understood  he  received  a  message 
from  Joseph  Bonaparte,  then  living  at  Bordentown,  that  he 
wished  to  see  him  also,  and  for  which  visit  I  have  no  doubt  the 
ex-king  of  Spain  would  have  cheerfully  paid  him  one  hundred 
dollars.  But  I  further  understood  that  the  Doctor  in- 
formed the  rich  potentate,  that  it  would  be  inconvenient  to 
attend  him  at  his  residence,  but  if  he  would  come  to  Philadel- 
phia he  would  wait  on  him.  Such  is  the  impression  I  have 
received.  But  when  Doctor  Parrish  received  a  message  from 
his  poor  friend,  he  came  forthwith  thirty  miles,  and  after  com- 
forting and  encouraging  my  afflicted  wife  and  children,  by  his 
peculiar  sweetness  and  suavity,  I  say  peculiar  because  sincere, 
I  took  him  aside  to  pay  him,  when  he  made  use  of  a  language 
like^this,  "  No,  my  dear  friend,  I  cannot  take  thy  money.  It 
was  not  money  induced  me  to   come^  hnt   sympathy  and  love 


120 

for  tliee  and  tliy  afflicted  family. ^^  Ah,  ray  dear  friend,  who- 
ever thou  art,  who  may  read  these  sayings  of  Doctor  Parrish, 
let  me  tell  thee  they  embrace  the  very  thing  I  want.  I  want 
a  great  many  just  such  Christian  doctors  as  Doctor  Parrish, 
with  this  great  improvement  upon  their  characters,  they  shall 
carry  on  carpentering,  merchandising  or  farming,  for  the  hon- 
orable support  of  themselves  and  families,  so  that  they  can  do 
unto  every  Christian  brother  and  sister  as  Doctor  Parrish  did 
to  me  and  my  afflicted  family,  that  the  blessed  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  may  be  established  in  the 
heights  of  civilized  America,  and  the  darling  attributes  of 
mercy  and  goodness  exalted  above  all  the  hills  of  cursed  sel- 
fishness and  pride. 

I  rejoice  that  I  can  produce  another  redeeming  case  in  the 
character  of  Doctor  Isaac  Chapman,  late  of  Wrightstown,  in 
the  county  of  Bucks,  Pa.,  whose  meritorious  example  as  a  phy- 
sician is  worthy  to  be  recorded.  I  am  aware  that  he  was  no 
friend  of  mine,  having,  in  our  Quaker  revolution,  enlisted  in 
the  Orthodox  ranks,  and  was  of  course  taught  by  his  leaders  to 
view  me  as  a  heathen  man  and  a  publican.  But  Grod  forbid 
that  I  should  be  influenced  by  that  mean,  pitiful  bigotry,  that 
would  deprive  him  of  his  due,  merely  because  we  differed  in 
Quaker  politics.  Doctor  Chairman  was  a  worthy  man,  a  faith- 
ful guardian  to  the  orphan,  and  an  upright  protector  of  the 
widow.  But  his  moderation  in  his  charges  to  the  rich  and  the 
poor  during  a  long  and  extensive  practice,  has  no  parallel.  I 
shall  only  state  two  cases  out  of  the  many  I  have  known. 

Avery  rich  man's  daughter  married  a  respectable  young  man 
in  Philadelphia.  Some  short  time  after  their  settlement  she 
came  on  a  visit  to  her  father,  and  was  taken  sick  with  an  ob- 
stinate lingering  fever.  Doctor  Chapman  attended  her  nearly 
three  months,  riding  four  miles  twice  a  day  a  considerable 
part  of  the  time.  When  she  had  recovered  so  as  to  be  able  to 
remove  back  to  the  city,  her  husband  called  on  the  Doctor  for 
his  bill,  not  doubting  but  what  it  would  be  fifty  or  sixty  pounds. 
He  had  brought  that  sum,  but  what  was  his  agreeable  surprise 
when  the  Doctor  produced  his  bill  calling  for  only  twenty 
dollars. 

The  other  was  a  poor  man  that  Doctor  Chapman  had  attended 
in  his  family  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  the  poor  man  had 
become  alarmed  in  consequence  of  hearing  of  the  enormous 


121 

bills  of  otlier  Doctors,  and  having  saved  ten  dollars,  he  met  the 
Doctor  in  the  road,  and  gave  it  to  him.  The  Doctor  at  first 
refused  to  take  it,  but  the  poor  man  insisting  upon  his  taking 
it  as  part  pay,  he  consented ;  but  observed  at  the  same  time  he 
thought  it  was  too  much,  but  he  could  hand  him  the  change. 
Some  days  after,  the  poor  man  met  the  Doctor  again,  when  the 
Doctor  haiMed  him  five  dollars  and  a  half  change,  out  of  the 
ten :  charging  only  four  dollars  and  a  half  for  fifteen  years'  at- 
tendance on  his  family.  Now,  dear  Doctor,  whoever  thou  art 
that  may  read  this,  go  and  do  likewise,  that  thy  name  may 
leave  a  savor  grateful  to  surviving  generations. 

I  have  wandered  so  far  from  my  path  I  hardly  know  how  to 
find  my  way  back,  or  at  what  point  to  start  again.  I  believe 
I  started  from  the  path  of  narrative  after  some  of  my  dear 
friends  who  had  run  wild  after  the  Thomsonian  system  of 
doctoring,  and  having  overtaken  them,  I  do  not  wish  to  up- 
braid them  with  their  folly,  for  I  do  not  doubt  the  honesty  and 
sincerity  of  their  motives ;  but  I  would  try  to  persuade  such 
as  have  left  the  path  of  humble  industry,  for  this  new  mode  of 
making  money  out  of  sufi'ering  humanity,  to  return  to  it  again 
as  soon  as  possible;  for  the  jjath  of  liumhle  industry  wiU  he 
found  to  he  the  path  of  the  just  tnan,  whose  increasing  hriyht- 
jiess  will  lead  to  present  and  everlasting  peace  ;  and  I  think  that 
some  who  may  read  this  will  be  prepared,  having  learned 
from  the  things  they  have  suffered,  to  take  the  above  advice. 

Yes,  there  are  too  many  valuable  Friends  that  have  suffered 
by  running  after  new  things  ;  and  I  have  noticed  that  when 
Friends  give  way  to  unsettlement,  they  hardly  know  when  to 
stop.  Now  their  medical  speculation  seemed  to  prepare  the 
way  for  a  morus  multicaulis  speculation,  and  whether  it  was 
the  losses  and  crosses  attendant  on  this  wild  scheme,  bringing 
many  into  the  bondage  of  debt  and  difficulty,  which  led  them 
into  sympathy  for  the  poor  slaves — or  whether  it  was  their  fine 
patriotic  feelings;  certain  it  is,  that  many  of  these  Friends 
were  prepared  to  embrace,  and  did  join,  the  politiccd  aholition 
speculation.  I  wish  here  distinctly  to  be  understood,  that  I 
make  use  of  the  word  or  term  political^  to  distinguish  between 
the  present  aholition  mania  and  the  soher,  serious  testimony 
against  Slavery,  recognized  by  the  Society  of  Friends.  It  led 
the  political  abolitionists  to  open  their  meeting  houses  to  law- 
y-ers  and  lecturers,  which  led  many  to  still  greater  weakness, 

10 


122 

even  a  kind  of  head  philosophy,  by  which  they  undertake  to 
account  for  all  the  peculiar  exercises  of  the  soul,  by  particulai' 
protuberances  on  the  head.  Now  ministers  and  elders  profes- 
sing to  believe  in  this,  and  going  about  feeling  young  people's 
heads,  grieves  and  discourages  me.  But  to  cap  the  climax  of 
absurdity,  and  show  what  ridiculous  inconsistency  Friends  are 
running  into,  too  many  Friends  profess  to  believe  in  a  system 
of  deception  called  animal  magnetism,  and  are  actually  en- 
couraging men  who  are  going  about  operating  on  poor  weak 
little  girls — I  suppose  at  an  age  when  the  peculiar  state  of 
their  nervous  system  answers  their  diabolical  purpose. 

Now  I  cannot  help  looking  upon  this  deception  with  anger ; 
being  grieved  not  only  at  the  hardness  of  the  conjurers'  hearts,, 
but  the  cruelty  of  parents,  in  letting  their  dear  little  girls  be 
so  shamefully  abused.  If  this  is  suffered  to  go  on,  I  should 
not  be  surprised,  feeble  as  my  hold  on  life  is,  to  live  to  see  with 
sorrow  too  many  of  our  dear  young  women  ruined,  and  virtue^, 
honor,  and  even  common  decency,  trodden  under  foot  with  im- 
punity. 

When  the  Jesuits,  those  great  deceivers  of  Catholic  Christen- 
dom, commenced  their  operations,  they  began  by  teaching  chil- 
dren, but  ended  in  teaching  princes;  and  nothing  but  a  provi- 
dential interference  prevented  them  from  putting  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty  into  a  common  grave. 

I  hope  there  are  but  few  Friends  that  have  run  into  this  sad 
extreme,  but  there  are  many  who  are  running  after  the  other 
bubbles.  Indeed,  some  of  the  best  Friends  belonging  to  our 
Monthly  Meeting,  were  caught  by  that  rattle  and  conceit  called 
morus  multicaulis,  and  two  of  them  acted  so  Christian  like,  that 
their  conduct  ought  to  be  recorded. 

One  of  them  was  a  worthy,  exemplary  elder,  and  the  other  a 
young  married  man,  with  a  lovely  wife — a  sweet  preacher — and 
an  interesting  family  of  young  children. 

The  elder  was  a  farmer  and  a  renter,  and  thinking  to  make 
something,  he  laid  out  a  hundred  dollars  in  mulberry  trees, 
and  when  they  were  at  their  perfection  for  market,  another 
very  clever  Friend  bought  them,  and  gave  his  obligation  to 
the  elder  for  seven  hundred  dollars,  payable  in  nine  months. 
Before  the  money  was  due,  the  bubble  bursted.  Some  time 
after  the  nine  months  had  expired,  the  elder  called  on  his 
friend  with  the  obligation  for  seven  hundred  dollars,  and  see- 


123 

ing  him  look  dejected,  he  said  very  pleasantly,  "  don't  be  dis- 
couraged, I  have  not  come  to  insist  upon  thy  fulfilling  thy 
promise.  But  as  thou  art  a  rich  man  and  I  am  a  poor  one,  1 
thought  I  would  propose  to  thee  to  pay  me  the  one  hundred 
dollars  I  payed  for  the  trees — I  will  then  give  thee  up  thy  bond 
for  seven  hundred  and  lose  all  my  labor.  Here  was  practical 
Christian  feeling- 

The  other  was  a  young  Friend  who  was  a  hatter,  that  like 
the  dear  primitives  studied  to  be  quiet  and  mind  his  own  busi- 
ness, and  work  with  his  own  hands,  so  that  he  walked  orderly 
towards  them  without  and  lacked  nothing;  but  he  was  in  debt 
for  his  house  and  lot,  and  had  to  pay  usury  to  a  money-monger. 
This  sometimes  discouraged  him,  and  being  a  little  melan- 
choly, one  day  this  money-making  gipsy,  morus  multicaulis, 
came  singing  into  his  shop,  and  her  song  was  so  musical 
about  making  a  little  money  so  easily  and  so  honestly,  to  pay 
the  debt  on  his  house  and  lot,  that  in  spite  of  his  better  judg- 
ment, he  bought  a  small  parcel  of  mulberry  trees  and  planted 
them  on  his  lot.  When  they  were  ready  for  market,  the  son 
of  a  wealthy  Presbyterian  elder,  brought  up  by  his  father  an 
honorable  carpenter,  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  whom 
the  priests  and  their  satellites  persuaded  to  go  to  some  eastern 
college  to  study  idleness,  arrogance,  and  speculation,  prepara- 
tory, perhaps,  for  holy  orders,— bought  our  young  friend's  trees 
for  three  hundred  dollars,  and  gave  his  note  for  the  money, 
payable  in  nine  months.  But  the  bubble  breaking,  as  in  the 
other  case,  our  young  collegian  fled,  and  our  friend  wot  not 
what  had  become  of  him.  But  it  appeared  in  the  sequel  that 
this  young  Presbyterian  had  had  too  good  an  education,  under 
the  care  of  his  excellent  father,  in  the  path  of  humble  industry, 
to  be  entirely  spoiled,  even  by  priests  and  colleges,  for  he  went 
to  sea,  and  being  diligent  and  faithful  in  his  business,  saved 
money  and  came  back  like  an  honest  man  to  pay  his  debts. 
Calling  on  our  friend  he  said,  ^'  Charles,  I  have  come  to  pay 
you  part  of  that  money  I  owe  you,  and  renew  the  obligation, 
and  if  it  takes  me  fifteen  years,  if  I  live,  I  will  pay  you  every 
cent."  Our  friend  went  and  got  the  note,  and  holding  it  in 
bis  hand,  thus  addressed  him  in  substance  :  "  Dost  thou  think 
I  could  take  money  from  thee,  for  which  thou  never  hadst  a 
valuable  consideration  ?  No  !  poor  as  I  am,  I  would  sufi'er  any- 
thing rather  than  act  so  dishonestly.''  So  saying,  he  put  the 
note  in  the  fire. 


124 

See  wliatan  honorable  Presbyterian  and  an  honestbenevolcnt 
Quaker  can  do.  I  sincerely  wish  that  all  Presbyterians  and 
Quakers,  were  influenced  by  the  same  noble,  generous  spirit. 
The  partition  wall  which  divided  the  Jew  from  the  GentilC;, 
would  be  thrown  down,  and  the  children  of  God  gathered  into 
one,  '^That  there  may  be  one  God  and  his  name  One.'' 

I  now  return  again  to  the  Spring  of  1827.  The  OrthodoX;, 
consisting  of  the  English  and  Royal  Americans,  having,  as  they 
supposed,  gained  the  ascendancy  in  the  Yearly  Meetings,  ap- 
peared in  full  force  at  Philadelphia  quarter,  carrying  all  before 
them.  But  at  Abington,  the  same  week,  they  were  totally  de- 
feated after  a  contest  of  nearly  seven  hours.  At  Concord, 
Salem,  Western,  Shrewsbury,  Rahway  and  Southern  quarters, 
they  had  to  retreat.  At  Cain  and  Burlington  they  were  the 
strongest,  and  came  over  to  old  Bucks,  flushed  with  victory  and 
confident  of  success. 

I  can  never  forget  Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  at  Buck- 
ingham, in  the  Fifth  month,  1827,  especially  the  meeting  of 
ministers  and  elders.  It  was  to  me  a  distressing,  indeed  I  may 
say,  an  awful  time,  for  I  felt  the  weight  of  the  responsibility 
that  rested  upon  me,  as  the  only  minister  belonging  to 
Bucks  quarter  then  present,  that  the  anathema  of  ecclesiastical 
censure  was  to  be  hurled  at,  or,  in  other  words,  the  only  victim 
branded  as  an  infidel,  and  marked  for  certain  disownment,  and 
the  importance  of  sustaining,  with  decency  and  dignity,  the  con- 
templated shock.  In  the  agony  of  my  feelings  I  prayed  most 
fervently,  and  was  comforted  with  the  words  of  the  blessed 
Saviour,  "My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto  death,  tarry 
ye  here  and  watch  with  me."  I  remembered  that  these  ex- 
pressions were  used  by  the  blessed  Jesus,  just  before  he  was 
arraigned  before  the  Orthodox  Israelites  that  composed  the  Jew- 
ish Sanhedrim,  and  I  thought  it  a  blessed  privilege  that  a  worm 
of  the  dust,  as  I  was  in  comparison,  should  drink  of  the  cup 
of  suflfering  a  Saviour  drank  of.  Whether  it  was  this 
opening  or  what  it  was  that  stayed  my  mind,  I  must  leave, 
while  I  acknowledge  with  thankfulness,  I  was  willing  to  sufter 
patiently  for  about  seven  hours. 

I  might  have  fared  worse  had  it  not  been  for  my  dear  friend 
Abraham  Lower  and  Samuel  Noble,  for  a  great  deal  of  time 
was  spent  by  Orthodox  Friends  in  trying  to  get  them  out  of 
the  meeting.     The   distressing   altercation   drove  our  tender 


125 

friend  William  Taylor,  from  the  table,  as  clerk,  to  the  select 
quarter,  and  several  other  valuable  Friends,  like  him,  left  the 
house;  so  that  the  contest  on  the  part  of  Friends  of  Bucks  quar- 
ter, had  to  be  sustained  principally  by  six  elders,  and  one  min- 
ister, with  the  assistance  of  A.  Lower  and  S.  Noble. 

I  think  it  right  to  record  the  names  of  those  elders  whose 
conduct  on  that  day  was  so  Christian-like;  to  wit : — Thomas 
Carey,  Benjamin  Smith,  Issac  Buckraan,  Joseph  Briggs,  Jere- 
miah Mahan,  and  Samuel  Swain.  I  have  no  recollection  of  an 
act  or  saying  of  either  of  these  Friends  that  was  not  in  perfect 
propriety.  If  there  was  any  impropriety  of  conduct  I  would 
rather  charge  it  to  myself,  thought  feel  no  comdemnation  for  any 
thing  I  said  or  did.  Our  dear  friend,  Stephen  Comfort,  was 
with  us  that  dreadful  day,  but  being  under  peculiar  depression 
of  spirits  in  consequence  of  the  distressing  illness  of  his  truly 
valuable  brother  Samuel,  I  do  not  remember  his  saying  any 
thing. 

At  the  general  quarterly  meeting  next  day.  Friends  arose  in 
the  full  majesty  of  their  strength,  and  Orthodoxy  was  defeated 
at  every  point,  and  that  in  the  shortest  time  I  ever  knew  the 
me.eting  to  hold.  All  their  written  and  verbal  communications 
were  rejected,  and  the  remonstrance  of  the  representatives  against 
the  proceedings  of  the  late  Yearly  Meeting,  signed  by  twenty- 
two  out  of  the  twenty-four,  was  read  and  united  with. 

Notwithstanding  this  apparently  signal  victory,  the  battle 
had  to  be  fought  over  again  three  times.  First,  in  the  Monthly 
Meeting  immediately  succeeding  the  quarter ;  secondly,  in  the 
next  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  at  the  Falls,  and  thirdly  and  last- 
ly, at  the  Monthly  Meeting  in  the  Ninth  month,  which  com- 
pleted the  separation,  and  the  Orthodox  lost  all  but  the  books 
and  papers  belonging  to  the  women's  meeting  at  the  Falls,  and 
the  privilege  of  holding  their  meetings  in  that  meeting 
house. 

Having  brought  into  view  two  dear  friends,  Abraham  Lower 
and  Stephen  Comfort,  valuable  ministers,  I  feel  it  right  to  re- 
cord a  brief  memorial  of  them,  more  especially  as  their  re- 
spective Monthly  Meetings  have  never  noted  them.  Though 
they  are  dead  as  to  the  outward  man,  they  still  live  in  my  mind. 
Dear  Stephen,  I  loved  him  affectionately  as  a  Christian  brother 
in  Christ,  and  verily  believe,  although  a  great  sufferer,  Jesus 
loved  him  as  his  cwn  and  "loved  him  to  the  end/'  granting 

10* 


126 

his  immortal  soul  an  admittance  into  those  glorious  mansions^ 
where  the  morning  stars  join  in  singing  hallelujah^  and  all  the 
Sons  of  God  forever  shout  for  joy. 

Dear  Abraham  may  be  said;,in  the  language  of  Scripture^  to  have 
been  a  valiant  man.  Living  in  Philadelphia  where  he  was  exposed 
to  Orthodox  intolerance,  some  of  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he 
seemed  almost  always  to  be  in  arms  or  in  action.  Hence  his 
resemblance  to  Joab,  that  valiant  captain  and  faithful  friend  to 
the  house  of  David,  when  the  house  of  Saul  was  rejected  in  the 
counsels  of  injQnite  wisdom ;  and  if  he  had  failings,  they  were 
somewhat  like  those  of  Joab,  whose  violence  and  zeal  caused  him 
to  slay  with  his  spear,  what  theking^s  mercy  would  have  spared. 
This  man,  like  his  friend  Stephen,  has  never  been  noticed  by 
his  Monthly  Meeting,  for  what  cause  I  know  not.  One  thing 
is  certain,  there  have  been  those  who  have  been  highly  me- 
morialized, that  had  not  the  courage  or  decision  of  character  to 
show  themselves  where  such  men  as  John  Comly  and  Abra- 
ham Lower,  in  the  begining  of  the  revolution,  stood  with  their 
lives,  as  it  were,  in  their  hands ;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  ve- 
rily fear  there  are  some  now  among  us  who  are  assuming  a 
commanding  position,  and  heading  a  party,  who  appear  to  me 
to  be  going  off  from  Friends,  that  at  the  trying  time  before  al- 
luded to,  stood  behind  the  screen — or  perhaps  like  the  bat  in  the 
fable,  hovering  over  to  see  which  would  be  the  strongest  side. 
Orthodox  or  Friends,  and,  if  this  was  the  case,  I  do  not  wonder 
they  are  now  to  be  seen  flying  in  the  dark,  catching  and  car- 
rying off  so  many  of  our  youth,  that  like  the  insects  of  a  sum- 
mer's evening,  are  gamboling  in  the  twilight.  But  when  they 
receive  the  due  reward  of  their  deeds,  it  will  be  like  the  afore- 
said bat,  they  will  be  rejected  by  both  sides. 

After  the  monthly  meetings  in  the  9th  month,  1827,  Or- 
thodox Friends  got  their  ecclesiastical  machinery  organized, 
as  they  supposed,  exactly  to  suit  the  latitude  of  the  United 
States,  and  commenced  disowning,  preparatory  to  carrying  out 
the  advice  of  their  great  lawyers,  in  a  regular  and  systematic 
prosecution  for  all  the  property.  This  ridiculous  farce,  for  I 
can  call  it  by  no  better  name,  rouses  my  indignation,  and  I 
cannot  help  looking  back  upon  their  conduct,  I  hope  as  our 
Saviour  did  upon  rotten  hearted  professors  formerly,  when  he 
was  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their  hearts;  for  the  hearts  of 
such  must  be  hard^  who  are  coldly  pursuing  a  malignant,  un- 


127 

just  plan  of  operations,  that  has  for  its  object,  all  the  injury 
they  could  possibly  inflict.  1  may  be  in  a  wrong  spirit,  and 
express  myself  in  unpleasant  terms,  for  I  confess  I  never  had 
any  thing  so  to  try  me  as  the  cold,  supercilious  and  insulting 
manner  in  which  they  entered  our  houses,  assuming  a  juris- 
diction over  our  families.  I  confess  I  got  angry,  and  perhaps, 
like  Peter,  drew  my  own  sword  and  cut  off  their  right  ear. 
.  In  the  Monthly  Meeting  of  Makefield,  of  which  I  am  a 
member,  there  was  but  two  obscure  families  went  off  with  the 
Orthodox.  Not  one  of  our  select  members  went  with  them, 
so  that  they  could  not  hold  a  meeting.  Yet  these  two  fami- 
lies, consisting  of  two  youngish  men  and  their  wives,  with  a 
few  small  children,  were  considered  all  sufficient,  agreeably  to 
the  wondrous  power  of  their  ecclesiastical  machinery,  to  dis- 
own a  large  Monthly  Meeting,  and  lay  down  and  discontinue 
two  large  meetings  for  worship,  and  take  several  thousand  dol- 
lars worth  of  property  in  direct  opposition  to  every  principle 
of  justice  and  eCj[uity. 

I  will  here  present  the  proceedings  of  Makefield  Monthly 
Meeting,  in  relation  to  the  few  Orthodox  that  left  them,  as  a 
•striking  contrast  to  their  unkind  and  unjust  proceedings  against 
us.  After  waiting  five  or  six  years  and  finding  their  conduct 
would  occasion  some  difficulty,  we  united  in  the  following  tes- 
timony, which  was  placed  upon  record. 

^an  the  9th  month,  1827,  J.  B.,  C.  B.,  M.  B.,  S.  B.,  M. 
B.,  and  M.  J.,  went  off  and  left  us,  and  uniting  with  others 
that  acted  in  a  similar  manner  in  other  monthly  meetings,  set- 
ting up  separate  meetings,  both  for  worship  and  discipline, 
thereby  dissolving  their  connection,  and  resigning  all  their 
right  in  our  religious  society ;  and  although  we  can  have  no 
unity  with  their  proceedings,  nor  consider  ourselves  in  any 
way  accountable  for  their  conduct,  or  those  minor  childi^en 
under  their  care,  that  have  decided  on  going  with  them,  never- 
theless we  cannot  for  conscience  sake  make  use  of  the  disci- 
pline as  a  sword  to  pursue  them,  hoping  they  are  influenced 
by  sincere  and  conscientious  motives,  and  as  free,  intelligent 
beings  they  have  an  equal  right  with  ourselves  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  religious  liberty.  We  therefore  feel  most  easy  to 
make  this  record  of  the  fact,  leaving  them  in  the  hands  of  a 
merciful  and  most  gracious  Being,  sincerely  desiring  their  pre- 
sent and  everlasting  welfare ;  standing  ever  disposed,  not  only 


128 

to  compromise  or  settle  as  respects  property  on  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  justice  and  equity,  but  should  any  of  them  become 
convinced  it  was  their  duty  to  return,  to  receive  them  with  joy 
into  the  bosom  of  our  religious  society/^ 

Indeed,  it  appears  to  me  that  the  English  and  Koyal  Ameri- 
cans, would  have  rejoiced  in  the  destruction  of  Friends'  meet- 
ing at  Newtown,  and  have  been  glad  to  take  our  meeting 
house,  and  put  it  in  possession  of  the  oinginal  owner  of  the 
land,  and  see  him  convert  it  into  a  cocoonery,  or  steeple-house; 
for  this  man,  though  a  descendant  from  one  of  the  most  re- 
spectable families  of  Friends  in  Bucks  county,  was  disowned 
for  getting  married  by  an  hireling  priest,  and  then  did  one  of 
the  worst  things,  I  think,  he  could  have  done  for  his  standing 
in  this  world,  if  not  in  the  world  to  come,  by  turning  against 
the  friends  of  his  honorable  father,  and  his  own  best  friends^ 
and  joining  the  Episcopalians — Friends'  greatest  enemies; 
who  have  taken  more  of  their  property — more  of  their  liberty ;, 
and  more  of  their  lives,  than  all  other  societies  put  together. 
For  a  proof  of  this  charge,  I  refer  the  reader  to  Sewel  and 
Gough's  history,  and  to  the  bitter  attack  upon  Friends,  by  an 
Episcopal  clergyman,  in  the  Doylestown  paper,  in  1837,  over 
the  signature  of  '^Americus." 

Having  given  a  sketch  of  the  hostile  spirit  of  Orthodoxy^ 
against  our  meeting,  I  will  state  a  few  facts,  as  relates  to  the 
attack  of  the  same  spirit  upon  the  poor  preacher. 

Their  first  open  attack  was  upon  my  public  character,  part 
of  which  they  embraced  in  a  declaration  from  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing of  1828,  in  which  they  labored  to  destroy  it,  by  trying  to 
make  me  out  an  infidel,  and  an  unbeliever  in  the  great  doc- 
trines of  Christianity.  This  they  had  a  right  to  do,  if  they 
really  thought  so,  for  my  public  character  is  certainly  a  kind 
of  public  property;  but  they  were  sadly  mistaken,  even  in 
this,  for  the  public  mind  in  the  little  circle  in  which  I  moved, 
would  not  believe  them,  and  moreover  their  spreading  my  name 
■beyond  that  circle,  gave  me  a  celebrity  that  my  talents  and 
qualifications  never  merited.  But  their  attack  upon  my  pri- 
vate and  moral  character,  was  shamefully  unchristian,  ungen- 
tlemanly  and  even  unmanly,  manifesting  that  hardness  of 
heart,  and  deficiency  of  understanding  that  have  characterized 
the  mad  brained  Orthodoxy  of  the  priests  and  their  satellites 
from  the  days  of  the  outward  advent  of  the  Saviour,  down  to 


129 

the  present  time.  Being  in  a  serious  difficulty  to  get  a  charge 
sufficient  to  blast  my  private  and  moral  character,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  merciful  care  of  the  Shepherd  of  Israel  in  pre- 
serving me  from  gi*oss  evil,  when  I  was  wicked  enough  to  have 
plunged  into  the  worst,  they  had  recourse  to  an  old  superannu- 
ated stale  report  that  was  raised  about  me  ten  or  twelve  years 
before,  by  a  lawyer,  then  living  in  our  town,  and  at  that  time  a 
complete  tool  for  a  popular  Baptist  preacher,  who  preached  to  a 
small  class  in  the  old  Court  House,  once  a  month.  These  Baptists 
being  placed  at  antipodes  to  the  great  Baptist  John,  were  filled 
with  chagrin  and  sorrow  to  find  that  Friends  were  increasing, 
and  they  were  decreasing,  and  being  Orthodox  they  must  do 
all  they  could  do  against  Friends.  Hence  the  importance  of 
knocking  down  Friends'  poor  minister,  right  or  wi'ong ;  and  I 
being  a  poor  painter  and  coachmaker,  may  have  disappointed 
the  said  lawyer,  in  not  getting  his  carriage  done  for  him,  ac- 
cording to  promise,  although  I  have  no  recollection  of  any 
thing  of  the  kind,  sufficient  for  him  to  report  me  as  a  common 
liar,  which  I  believe  he  did,  for  a  professed  Deist  told  a  dear 
friend  of  mine,  he  had  it  from  the  aforesaid  Orthodox  lawyer. 
Unfortunately  for  me,  I  have  been,  and  still  am,  the  butt  of 
the  Orthodox  and  the  Deist.  Hence  the  extreme  parties  in 
the  Society  of  Friends  are  unfriendly  to  me,  and  I  do  not 
know  that  I  ought  to  blame  them,  for  I  certainly  have  no 
unity  with  either  of  them.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Orthodox 
Friends  got  hold  of  this  report,  and  tried  their  best  to  destroy 
my  character  as  a  man  of  truth,  both  far  and  near,  as  the  fol- 
lowing fact  will  abundantly  prove. 

Towards  the  close  of  1827,  I  received  through  the  post 
office,  a  large  letter,  and  on  opening  it  found  there  was  no 
name  to  it,  only  initials,  but  it  appeared  to  be  written  in  a 
friendly  spirit,  and  in  substance  was  as  follows  :  "  I  have 
heard  thee  in  days  that  are  past,  as  I  then  thought,  preach 
the  gospel,  and  I  loved  thee,  but  lately  I  heard  it  told  in  a 
large  company  of  Friends,  thirty  or  more,  principally  minis- 
ters and  elders,  that  thou  hadst  become  a  kind  of  leader  in  a 
party  that  denied  the  Christian  religion,  and  trampled  all  dis- 
cipline and  order  under  foot  with  impunity,  and  had  become 
so  loose  and  immoral  in  thy  conduct,  that  thee  was  thought 
nothing  of  by  respectable  people,  and  so  a  great  a  liar  that  it 
was  proverbial  in  the  neighborhood,  if  any  one  told  a  great 


lie,  to  say,  it  was  as  great  a  one  as  Edward  Hicks  could  tell, 
and  such  was  the  loss  of  confidence  in  thee,  thee  could  get 
very  little  to  do.  If  this  is  true,  thou  hast  sorrowfully  fallen. 
If  it  is  not  true,  it  is  then  sorrowful  that  there  should  be 
members  of  our  religious  society,  so  lost  to  every  sense  of 
goodness,  as  to  circulate  such  scandalous  reports ;  and  if  thou 
canst  send  me  sufficient  evidence  that  the  report  is  false,  I 
stand  ready  to  assist  thee  in  calling  them  to  an  account,  and 
will  send  thee  the  names  of  thy  principal  enemies."  This  is^ 
as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect,  the  substance  of  my  friend's  let- 
ter. I  immediately  called  on  our  post  master,  who,  on  exam- 
ining his  list,  found  the  post  office  from  whence  the  letter  had 
come,  and  the  name  of  the  post  master.  It  was  in  New  York 
State,  near  Connecticut.  There  being  sufficient  room  on  the 
large  sheet  of  paper,  I  wrote  an  answer  in  substance  as  fol- 
lows :  "  I  deny  the  charges,  and  declare  that  I  am  not  a  leader 
in  a  party  that  denies  the  Christian  religion,  and  is  trampling 
upon,  the  excellent  discipline  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  for 
there  never  was  a  time  in  my  life,  when  the  religion  of  Jesus, 
in  its  blessed  simplicity,  as  recorded  in  the  New  Testam^nt^ 
and  professed  by  Friends,  was  more  near  and  dear  to  me,  and 
I  think  I  would  be  willing  to  lay  down  my  life  for  it.  And  I 
have  an  increasing  attachment  and  love  for  our  discipline,  and 
verily  believe  it  to  be  the  most  efficient  evangelical  code  of 
laws  ever  given  to  any  sect  of  Christians.  And  as  to  the  other 
charges,  tliey  are  scarcely  worthy  of  notice,  when  I  can  state 
the  following  fact.  I  am  now  employing  four  bands,  besides 
myself,  in  coach,  sign,  and  ornamental  painting,  Snd  still  more 
in  repairing  and  finishing  carriages,  and  I  think  I  should  find 
no  difficulty  in  doubling  my  business.  I  have  done  the  paint- 
ing for  two  respectable  coachmakers  for  ten  years,  and  if  I  am 
not  mistaken,  were  I  disposed  to  prosecute  for  such  a  shameful 
attack  upon  my  private  character,  these  respectable  neighbors 
would  furnish  depositions  in  direct  opposition  to  these  back- 
biters. But,  conscious  that  I  have  the  unity,  the  love,  and  es- 
teem of  my  friends  and  neighbors— living  in  peace  and  harmo« 
ny  with  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Baptists,  &c. — conscious, 
too,  that  I  have  the  unity  and  Christian  sympathy  of 
the  great  body  of  Friends,  constituting  Bucks  Quarterly 
Meeting,  and  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Philadelphia,  I  would  not 
go  over  the  sill  of  my  door  to  clear  up  a  report  that  is  nothing 


131 

but  an  effervescence  of  the  gall  of  bitterness  in  the  bond  of 
iniquity.  As  to  the  names  of  those  ministers  and  elders  that 
spread  the  report,  I  should  be  sorry  to  know  them,  lest  they 
might  darken  a  long  list  of  worthy  men  and  women^  who  fill 
those  stations  and  stand  high  in  my  esteem." 

This  is  as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect  the  substance  of  the  an- 
swer I  wrote,  and  having  just  room  enough  left  to  write  a  short 
address  to  the  post  master.  I  told  him  that  the  within  letter 
which  he  was  entirely  at  liberty  to  read,  I  hoped  would  be  a 
sufficient  excuse  for  the  liberty  I  had  taken.  The  post  master 
was  a  Presbyterian  or  a  Methodist,  as  was  the  neighborhood 
generally,  and  the  contents  of  these  letters  getting  out,  milita- 
ted much  against  Orthodox  Friends. 

In  a  week  or  two,  I  got  another  letter  from  my  friend,  with 
his  name  in  full,  apologising  for  the  mistake  he  had  made  in 
sending  the  copy  instead  of  the  original  letter.  In  this  letter 
he  bespoke  a  carriage  of  me,  and  to  show  the  confidence  he  put 
in  me — the  testimony  of  Orthodox  ministers  and  elders,  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding — when  I  told  him  I  would  deliver  his 
carriage  in  New  York  on  such  a  day  of  the  week,  between  the 
hours  of  ten  and  eleven,  he  came  thirty  miles  with  his  horses 
and  harness,  and  we  met  within  ten  minutes.  This  carriage 
turned  out  to  be  a  good  one,  and  I  got  others  to  make  from  the 
same  neighborhood;  and  when  I  went  into  that  country  at  the 
time  of  the  separation  of  Purchase  Quarterly  Meeting,  in  com- 
pany with  my  kinsman,  Willet  Hicks,  I  was  rather  astonished 
at  the  number  of  Friends  I  met  with;  and  after  the  separation, 
and  the  Orthodox  had  left  the  house,  they  were  scarcely  missed 
there  were  such  a  body  of  Friends  and  friendly  people ;  and 
although  the  English  and  Royal  Americans  were  there  in  full 
force,  and  gave  notice  as  they  went  off,  that  they  would  hold 
their  meeting  for  worship,  in  a  large  school  house,  in  a  beauti- 
ful grove,  where  seats  would  be  provided  for  a  very  large  com- 
pany, I  understand  their  meeting  was  rather  a  slim  concern, 
while  the  people  seemed  to  come  in  amass  to  Friends'  old  meet- 
ing house ;  I  suppose  the  Orthodox  might  think,  out  of  mere 
curiosity  to  hear  a  mighty  big  liar. 

I  could  fill  a  sheet  of  paper  with  interesting  incidents  that 
occurred  at  this  Quarterly  Meeting,  but  I  shall  only  say  I  was 
astonished,  amused  and  comforted,  while  the  Orthodox  remain- 
ed with  us.     I  was  astonished  at  the  audacious  manner  in  which 


132 

Ann  Jones  prophesied  of  the  destruction  of  Friends'  Quarterly 
Meeting  at  Purchase.  After  denouncing  Friends  in  her  usual 
manner,  comparing  them  to  men  without  heads,  clouds  without 
rain,  trees  without  roots,  and  wells  without  water ;  I  think  I 
remember  distinctly  she  said  in  substance,  that  Friends  would 
be  scattered  in  less  than  two  years,  so  as  not  to  be  able  to  hold 
a  Quarterly  Meeting,  and  then  added  emphatically,  "  Mark  my 
words,  in  less  than  three  years,  at  the  farthest,  you  will  be 
scattered  to  the  four  winds."  Now  I  do  not  know  precisely 
the  state  of  that  meeting,  but  I  believe  it  has  been  regularly 
kept  up  ever  since,  which,  I  think,  will  be  sixteen  years  next 
week. 

I  was  amused  at  the  ingenious  manner  in  which  the  English 
preachers  managed,  in  time  of  the  meeting  for  worship.  The 
meeting  was  not  settled  before  one  of  them  arose  and  began  to 
preach,  and  as  soon  as  she  took  her  seat,  another  would  rise, 
and  so  they  occupied  the  time,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others. 
But  what  amused  me  most,  was  the  mistake  they  were  under, 
if  they  supposed  they  were  disappointing  and  worrying  me,  for 
1  was  pleased  to  be  excused  from  preaching,  and  as  the  time 
was  taken  up  principally  by  Ann  Jones  and  Elizabeth  Robson, 
or  Anna  Brathwaite,  I  sat  most  comfortably  and  heard  them, 
for  I  did  love  to  hear  Ann  and  Elizabeth  speak,  and  I  don't 
know  but  the  apostle  Paul  himself  might  be  pleased  to  hear 
Ann  Jones,  even  when  she  "  preached  Christ,  of  envy  and 
strife,' '*  for  she  was  so  beautiful  a  preacher,  and  I  am  thank- 
ful I  have  not  a  bad  feeling  in  my  heart  towards  her.  But  I 
rather  think  the  apostle  would  have  confined  her  to  the  island 
of  England,  and  not  suffered  her  to  speak  false  prophecies  in 
the  church. 

It  is  quite  possible  that  I  may  have  overdrawn  this  picture 
of  Orthodox  defamation,  at  any  rate  it  would  be  right  to  say 
what  I  verily  believe,  that  Orthodox  Friends  of  New  York 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  if  I  should  judge  from  the  re- 
spect and  kindness  with  w^hich  they  have  always  treated  me, 
they  did  not  believe  the  report,  but  that  it  emanated  from  the 
dark  strong  hold  of  Orthodoxy,  in  Philadelphia;  for  I  now 
recollect  what  I  had  entirely  forgotten,  that  I  got  a  letter 
about  the  same  time  from  an  Orthodox  minister  in  Philadel- 
phia, containing  the  same  charges  embraced  in  my  friend's  let- 
*Phil.  i,  15. 


133 

ter  from  New  York  State,  to  which  I  wrote  a  similar  answer ; 
and  that  a  good  old  ministering  friend,  belonging  to  Burling- 
ton Quarter,  that  I  came  up  with,  on  board  the  steamboat  from 
Philadelphia  to  Bristol,  after  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  1827, 
told  me,  some  months  afterwards,  in  Trenton,  that"he  felt  un- 
easy in  his  mind,  and  felt  it  his  duty  to  make  an  acknowledg- 
ment to  me  for  the  manner  he  treated  me  on  board  the  steam- 
boat. For  hearing,  as  he  had,  among  the  Orthodox  in  Phila- 
delphia, that  I  was  so  notorious  a  liar  and  unprincipled  a  man, 
he  could  not  feel  a  freedom  to  speak  to  me;  but  hearing,  as 
he  had  since,  from  respectable  people  in  my  own  neighbor- 
hood, so  very  different  a  character,  he  was  satisfied  that  the 
Orthodox  account  of  me  was  defamation  and  detraction,  and 
being  disgusted  with  them,  he  had  entirely  left  them. 

I  will  now  just  advert  again  to  my  Baptist  neighbor,  the 
lawyer,  already  alluded  to,  who,  I  supposed,  gave  rise  to  the 
report  of  my  lying,  some  ten  or  twelve  years  before  the  Ortho- 
dox got  hold  of  it.  This  man,  when  he  saw  through  the 
sheepskins  of  his  priest,  which  was  not  a  difficulty  to  a  man 
of  his  superior  discernment,  became  one  of  my  warmest  and 
firmest  friends,  and  one  of  the  best  neighbors  I  ever  had;  and 
in  the  last  interview  I  had  with  him,  before  he  was  taken 
sick,  he  told  me  I  might  think  it  strange,  but  it  was  true, 
that  if  he  had  not  accepted  an  appointment  in  the  Baptist  as- 
sociation, the  fulfilment  of  which  seems  so  necessary  at  this 
time,  I  can  assure  you  I  would  much  rather  go  to  your  meet- 
ing. And  I  can  never  forget  the  last  time  that  I  saw  him, 
which  was  just  before  he  died.  I  had  called  to  enquire  how 
he  was,  and  he  insisted  on  my  coming  into  his  room.  I  found 
him  sitting  in  his  chair,  for  he  could  not  lie  down;  when  he 
took  hold  of  my  hand,  while  his  intelligent  countenance  bore 
the  impress  of  love  and  affection,  he  with  great  difficulty  ar- 
ticulated, "  how  glad  I  am  to  see  thee,''  three  times,  and  was 
exhausted.  He  was  too  hard  of  hearing  for  me  to  speak  to 
him,  I  therefore  could  only  drop  over  him  the  tear  of  tender 
sympathy  and  love,  and  silently  offer  the  living  aspiration  of 
my  soul,  to  that  blessed  Saviour,  that  for  ever  seeks  to  save 
that  which  is  lost,  and  has  declared  there  is  more  joy  in  heaven 
over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just 
persons  that  need  no  repentance. 

Now,  had  our  Orthodox  Friends  succeeded  in  carrying  out 
12 


134 

all  tlieir  plans,  what  acts  of  injustice  and  persecution  tliey 
would  have  been  guilty  of.  They  would  have  destroyed  our 
meeting  at  Newtown,  while  their  lawyers  would  have  taken 
our  meeting  property,  worth  three  or  four  thousand  dollars, 
and  given  it  to  one  man,  whose  subscription  and  labor  did  not 
exceed  one  hundred  dollars,  which  Friends  have  since  offered 
to  pay  him.  They  would,  if  they  could,  by  the  assistance  of 
their  formidable  auxiliaries,  the  hireling  priests  and  their  satel- 
lites have  destroyed  my  public  character  as  a  Christian  minister, 
and  fastened  upon  me  the  black  stigma  of  infidelity  and  unbe- 
lief; and,  from  the  evidence  already  given,  would  they  not,  if 
they  could,  have  blasted  my  moral  character,  robbed  me  of 
my  reputation  as  a  mechanic,  and  rejoiced  to  see  me  sinking 
into  the  lowest  degradation  of  shame  and  poverty,  a  disgrace 
to  my  friends,  and  a  burthen  on  society?  And  those  dear 
children,  who  have  been  placed  under  my  care,  as  a  delegated 
shepherd,  in  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  for  whose  present 
and  everlasting  welfare  I  have  been  and  still  am  deeply  anx- 
ious, and  to  preserve  from  the  influence  of  the  prowling  hire- 
ling,— I  say,  would  not  these  Orthodox  Friends  have  rejoiced 
to  have  seen  my  interesting  charge  led  off  by  these  wolves  in 
sheep's  clothing,  to  the  barren  mountains  of  empty  profession, 
or  lost  in  the  wilderness  of  vice  and  immorality,  floating 
down  the  stream  of  insignificance,  where  Orthodoxy  wished  to 
see  their  poor  father,  until  they  sank,  like  him,  broken-heart- 
ed, into  an  untimely  grave  ?  Would  not  these  Orthodox,  then, 
in  passing  my  once  humble,  happy  home,  have  shaken  their 
heads,  like  some  formerly,  saying,  '^  Ah  !  he  could  preach  to 
others  how  they  should  be  saved,  but  see  what  a  miserable 
end  he  has  come  to.  He  could  tell  us  many  fine  things  about 
the  right  education  of  children,  but  see  the  shameful  end  of 
his  own.  Ah !  we  thought  it  would  be  so,  he  was  a  bad  man.'^ 
Oh  !  cruel,  hard  hearted  Orthodoxy ;  no  marvel  that  the  in- 
spired patriarch,  when  he  beheld  thy  grim  visage,  should  ex- 
claim, "Oh!  my  soul,  come  not  thou  not  into  their  secret;'' 
and  a  greater  than  Jacob  should  say,  on  beholding  the  same 
sight,  "  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers."  But,  oh ! 
humbling,  yet  joyful  consideration.  Friends  are  not  destroyed 
and  scattered  to  the  four  winds — their  property  is  secured  to 
them,  and  guarded  by  the  genius  of  our  republican  govern- 
ment; our  meeting  at  Newtown  still  continues  a  large,  respect- 


135 

able  and  increasiug  meeting,  considered  by  all  but  the  priests 
and  their  Orthodox  satellites,  a  blessing  to  the  neighborhood; 
and  enlightened  public  sentiment  is  disposed  to  frown  on  the 
feeble  efibrts  of  Orthodoxy  and  priestcraft,  to  fix  upon  my 
public  character,  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  a  stigma  of  inji- 
ddity  and  unhelief.  jMy  moral  and  private  character,  I  think 
I  may  say  with  humble  thankfulness,  is  established  beyond 
the  reach  of  suspicion,  having  the  confidence,  unity  and  love, 
not  only  of  my  friends,  but  my  neighbors  of  every  description, 
young  and  old,  and  even  the  followers  of  the  hireling  entrust 
me  with  some  of  their  most  important  concerns.  Yes,  I  make 
the  record  of  the  fact  with  gratitude  and  humble  thankfulness, 
not  with  exultation  and  boasting,  that  so  far  is  the  malignant 
anticipation  of  a  respectable  Orthodox  from  being  realized — 
who  thought  if  I  appointed  a  meeting,  no  one  would  come  to 
it — that  1  have  now  several  written  and  verbal  invitations  to 
hold  meetings  among  the  people,  and  when  I  feel  a  freedom  to 
accept  such  invitations,  which  is  not  often  the  case,  the  houses 
are  filled  to  overflowing.  I  say  I  do  not  make  this  statement 
boastingly ;  far  from  it,  for  I  verily  believe  it  is  '^  the  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jems  Christ,"  graciously  bestowed  on  the  chief 
of  sinners,  that  the  people  love ;  therefore,  to  him  be  ascribed 
all  praise,  thanksgiving  and  renown  for  ever  and  ever.  And 
my  dear  children  are  so  far  from  being  scattered  and  led  off 
by  the  prowling  hirelings,  that  they  continue  steady  members 
of  society,  and  those  that  are  married,  were  married  according 
to  our  Christian  order,  and  are  a  comfort  and  consolation  to 
me;  and  even  those  young  men  that  served  an  apprenticeship 
with  me,  are  in  unity  with  me ;  and  when  I  sit  down  in  our 
meetings  for  worship,  twice  a  week,  I  am  surrounded  by  dear 
Friends  and  friendly  people,  that  I  love,  and  I  have  good  rea- 
son to  believe  they  love  me.  In  a  word,  I  am  as  happy  as  any 
man  ought  to  be  in  this  world,  and  have  every  blessing  that  I 
ought  to  ask  for,  and,  conscious  from  whom  these  blessings 
come,  I  feel  a  daily  concern  to  rejoice  ever  more,  and  in  every 
thing  give  thanks. 

Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting  is  now,  1844,  larger  than  it  has 
ever  been  since  my  knowledge  of  it.  Indeed  tlie  concourse  of 
people  is  so  great  at  Buckingham,  that  the  house,  though  very 
large,  will  scarcely  accommodate  one  half  of  them.  So  that, 
after  ticenfi/  years,  notwithstanding  the  great  exertions  of  Or- 


136 

tliodox  Friends  to  get  the  property  and  name  of  Friends  in 
Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting,  they  appear  now  to  have  lost 
both. 

But  it  must  be  confessed  that  some  of  their  predictions  have 
almost  been  fulfilled,  ^'that  we  would  be  overrun  with  ranter- 
ism/'  for  there  was  a  time  when  our  Quarterly  Meeting  was 
sadly  tormented  with  these  wrong-headed  enthusiasts,  whose 
principal  strength  was  one  of  our  superior  women.  She  at 
one  time  brought  a  concern  before  the  Quarterly  Meeting  held 
at  Wrightstown,  where  I  think  she  sat  among  the  men  nearly 
one  hour,  manifesting  with  her  party  the  most  decided  deter- 
mination to  carry  her  point.  I  opposed  her  to  her  face,  I  trust 
as  Paul  did  Peter,  because  I  thought  then,  and  still  think,  she 
was  to  be  blamed ;  but  I  could  not  cjuestion  for  a  moment  the 
sincerity  and  purity  of  her  motives.  But  she  appeared  to  be 
drawn  away  and  enticed  by  some  of  the  most  popular  and  plausible 
subjects  that  could  possibly  be  presented  to  the  minds  of  Friends 
in  the  then  unsettled  state  of  Society;  andl  have  no  doubt  that 
excellent  woman  sustained  a  great  loss  as  a  Gospel  minister,  by 
attending  political  abolition  meetings,  temperance  meetings, 
and  so  forth,  and  undertaking  to  be  a  lecturer  therein.  She 
is  now  gone  to  the  eternal  world,  and  the  sweetness  and  love  I 
feel  for  her,  embraces  a  hope  that  I  shall,  ere  long,  meet  her 
glorified  spirit  in  the  23resence  of  Gody  who  is  the  judge  of  all. 
But  certainly,  dear  Martha  Smith  presented  to  my  mind  a 
case,  which  exhibits  in  a  clear  view,  the  great  importance  of 
superior  women  always  being  right,  for  when  they  get  wrong 
they  are  so  difiicult  to  manage.  This  the  apostle  Paul  expe- 
rienced in  the  Corinthian  church,  and  did  what  he  thought  was 
the  best  thing  at  that  time,  by  commanding  them  to  be  silent ; 
andl  think  it  was  well  for  me  that  I  had  not  Paul's  influence 
and  authority,  as  I  think  I  should  have  made  a  bad  use  of  it, 
for  I  found  myself  strongly  tempted  to  be  Orthodox,  with 
those  wrong-headed  enthusiasts,  that  were  troubling  Society. 
But  I  learned  one  valuable  lesson  from  what  I  suffered  at  that 
time:  I  found  how  easy  it  would  be  for  me  to  become  Orthodox 
in  my  turn,  when  I  got  a  standing  and  influence  in  Society; 
in  the  consciousness  I  felt  of  this  standing  and  influence,  there 
was  fostered  a  seed  of  pride  and  ambition  that  made  me  feel 
indignant  and  hard  towards  those  that  were  opposed  to  me, 
and  I  was  tempted  to  correct  a  thing  wrong  in  itself,  in  a 


137 

worse  spirit.  The  same  evil  seed  made  me  unhappy,  when  I 
heard  even  my  friends,  especially  great  ministers,  spoken  of 
in  a  language  like  this :  G.  W.  is  the  greatest  preacher  I  ever 
heard. 

Now  why  was  I  hurt  to  hear  a  friend  that  I  had  loved  and 
united  with,  thus  spoken  highly  of?  Because  I  had  listened 
to,  and  been  delighted  with  the  same  foolish  song,  sung  by 
some  silly  women,  directly  or  indirectly  after  me,  and  had 
been  secretly  lifted  up  with  pride,  and  was  now  to  be  thrown 
into  the  condemnation  of  the  Devil.  This  sin,  which  to  me  ap- 
peared exceedingly  sinful,  brought  me  very  low,  and  I  besought 
my  Saviour  fervently,  that  this  messenger  of  Satan  might 
be  removed,  when  I  thought  I  was  answered  as  Paul  was  an- 
swered on  a  similar  occasion,  "My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee." 
Thus  I  was  relieved  from  this  bondage  of  corruption  that 
would  have  led  me  to  envy  and  hate  my  brother.  By  "  the 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,^'  I  learned,  moreover,  from 
what  I  suffered,  how  deficient  I  had  been  in  Christian  charity, 
that  crown  and  diadem  of  the  redeemed  soul ;  that  charity 
"that  suffereth  long  and  is  kind ;  that  envieth  not;  that 
vaunteth  not  itself;  is  not  puffed  up;  thinketh  no  evil;  re- 
joiceth  not  in  iniquity.''  But  alas  !  I  had  indulged  too  much 
a  secret  joy  when  I  heard  of  any  evil  befalling  my  en- 
emies, especially  the  Orthodox  Friends.  How  then  could  I, 
while  indulging  such  evil  thoughts,  obey  that  commandment 
of  my  blessed  Redeemer,  "I  say  unto  you,  love  your  enemies; 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  and  pray  for  them  that  despitefully 
use  you  and  persecute  you.''  Ah  !  I  think  I  have  learned 
something  from  the  things  I  have  suffered  in  the  depths  of 
temptation,  and  am  prepared  to  receive  the  encouraging  ex- 
hortation of  the  apostle  James,  "My  brethren  count  it  all  joy 
when  ye  fall  into  divers  temptations,  knowing  this  that  the 
trying  of  your  faith  worketh  patience;  but  let  patience  have 
her  perfect  work,  that  ye  may  be  perfect  and  entire,  wanting 
nothing."  Oh!  dear  brother  or  sister,  whoever  may  read  this, 
do  not  rest  satisfied  with  thy  standing  and  influence,  as  a  min- 
ister, or  an  elder,  while  the  enemy  of  thy  soul  has  a  secret  in- 
fluence over  thy  thoughts,  making  them  too  busy  for  thy 
peace — making  them  too  often  the  dark  postern  to  secret  pride, 
jealousy,  envy  and  hatred ;  but  keep  thy  eye  single  to  thy 
blessed  Saviour^  as  a  quickening  spirit,  who  will  enable  thee 

12* 


138 

to  overcome  all  evil,  and  give  thee  to  sit  -with  him  on  his 
throne.  This  is  the  only  way  we  can  sit  in  heavenly  places, 
in  Christ  Jesus,  "the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling/' 
I  have  a  humble  hope  I  shall  yet  attain  to  this  blessed  esta- 
blishment in  the  truth,  that  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  as  a  foun- 
tain of  light  and  life,  will  preserve  my  poor  soul  from  thinking 
evil,  or  indulging  a  secret  joy  when  it  comes  upon  my  ene- 
mies, of  whom  I  have  spoken  freely,  in  making  a  statement  of 
what  I  verily  believe  to  be  facts;  and  if  I  know  myself  and  am 
not  deceived,  I  certainly  have  no  unkind  feeling  towards  those 
whose  names  I  have  mentioned,  especially  dear  old  Jonathan 
Evans,  for  whom  I  have  ever  felt,  and  still  continue  to  feel, 
a  decided  partiality.  But  I  believe  what  I  have  said  of  him 
was  true ;  that  he  was  a  violent,  choleric  man,  and  too  much 
like  myself,  malignant  and  bitter  against  his  enemies,  which 
he  supposed  we  were,  and  called  us  Hicksites,  separatists,  infi- 
dels, &c.  But  I  cannot  help  considering  him  as  honest  as 
Saul  of  Tarsus,  and  when  Jesus  Christ  was  revealed  in  him, 
and  established  his  kingdom,  the  lion  eat  straw  like  the  ox, 
and  Jonathan  Evans  became  a  changed  man,  and  consequently 
was  sorry  for  all  his  acts  of  madness  and  violence;  and  should 
I  ever  be  permitted  to  enter  the  abodes  of  the  ransomed  and 
redeemed  of  the  Lord,  I  shall  hope  to  see  the  angelic  spirit  of 
dear  Jonathan  Evans  and  Elias  Hicks,  clothed  in  white  rai- 
ment, with  palms  of  victory  in  their  hands,  united  for  ever  in 
that  innumerable  company  that  "  shall  hunger  no  more ;  neither 
shall  they  thirst  any  more;  neither  shall  the  sun  shine  on 
them  or  any  heat;  but  the  Lamb  that  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throiie  shall  feed  them;  he  shall  lead  them  unto  fountains  of 
living  waters,  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes.'^  Oh  !  that  that  death  that  has  destroyed  the  life,  love 
and  unity  once  so  eminently  manifested  in  the  Society  of 
Friends,  could  be  swallowed  up  in  victory,  in  the  church  mili- 
tant, that  God  might  wipe  away  all  tears  from  all  eyes,  and 
the  rebuke  of  his  people  remember  no  more,  that  *'  the 
mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  might  be  established  in  the  top 
of  the  mountains,  and  exalted  above  the  hills;"  and  that  the 
Society  of  Friends  might  once  more  flow  together,  beating 
the  swords  that  have  been  employed  in  smiting  each  other, 
into  something  like  the  ploughshare  of  humble  industry  and 
Christian  benevolence,  forgiving  one  another,  as  God  for  Christ's 


139 

sake  forgives  them  •  and  that  spear  that  has  pierced  the  tend- 
erest  feelings'  of  the  nearest  and  dearest  friends,  separating 
husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  might  be  converted 
into  something  like  the  pruning  hook  of  brotherly  and  sister- 
ly kindness,  that  would  watch  over  one  another  for  good,  and 
cultivate  those  precious  branches  that  still  remain  in  the  vine, 
^^  gathering  the  children,  and  those  that  suck  the  breast," 
while  ^'  the  bridegroom  goes  forth  of  his  chamber,  and  the 
bride  out  of  her  closet,  while  the  true  priests  and  ministers  of 
the  Lord  are  weeping  between  the  porch  and  the  altar,  with 
unwearied  intercession,  saying,  spare  thy  people,  oh !  Lord, 
and  give  not  thy  heritage  to  a  reproach.'^ 

Newtown,  2d  month  12th,  1846. 

I  have  thought  it  right  this  day  to  commence  a  little  diary, 
or  memorandum  of  passing  events. 

Since  the  beginning  of  this  year,  according  to  the  course  of 
nature  and  mortality,  several  of  my  particular  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances in  the  little  circle  in  which  I  move,  have  passed 
out  of  time  into  eternity ;  among  which  was  John  Blaker,  aged 
TO;  Jacob  Heston,  96;  Isaac  Longstreth,  82;  Joshua  Paxson, 
80.  The  first  was  an  old  fellov/  soldier,  a  poor  man,  like  my- 
self, that  was  blessed  with  a  good  wife  and  some  good,  usefiil 
children — the  best  of  earthly  riches.     The  others  were  Friends. 

I  attended  Isaac's  funeral  at  Horseham,  day  before  yester- 
day. It  was  large  and  instructive.  My  dear  friends  Joseph 
Foulk,  Daniel  Comly,  Margaret  Longstreth,  and  Anne  Garri- 
gues,  I  believe  had  good  service  in  the  line  of  the  ministry. 

This  is  our  meeting  day.  Oh,  that  I  may  be  favorec^^with 
the  company  of  the  beloved  of  souls,  that  I  may  worship  in 
the  beauty  of  holiness. 

17th.  At  the  close  of  yesterday  I  was  favored  with  the  pres- 
ence of  my  blessed  Saviour,  as  a  quickening  spirit,  preparing 
my  soul  to  oiFer  a  living  aspiration — thanksgiving  and  praise 
for  my  many  blessings,  both  spiritual  and  temporal.  How 
fervently  I  could  then  pray,  not  only  for  those  that  were  the 
nearest  and  dearest  to  me  in  the  little  circle  of  acquaintance, 
but  all  the  precious  visited  children  in  the  world;  especially 
the  sick,  the  sorrowful,  the  broken-hearted  and  discouraged 
souls,  that  are  sinking  in  the  quicksands  of  despair. 

22d.  A  day  of  favor.  I  begged  on  the  bended  knee  of  my 
soul  before  I  left  my  pillow,  that  I  might  have  a  good,  silent, 


140 

solemn  meeting.  My  pra3"er  appeared  to  be  granted,  for  it 
was  a  precious  baptizing  opportunity  to  my  poor  soul.  The 
meeting  was  large,  and  my  dear  friends  J.  M.  S.  and  S.  A.  S. 
appeared  to  have  good  service  in  the  ministry.  I  laid  my  head 
on  my  pillow  with  a  grateful  and  thankful  heart.  Oh  !  that  I 
may  be  thought  worthy  of  the  continuation  of  such  a  blessing. 

2bth.  Yesterday  Benjamin  Swain,  of  Bristol,  was  buried.  I 
did  not  attend  the  funeral.  This  day  was  our  select  Quarterly 
Meeting,  quite  large  on  the  men's  side.  Several  ministers 
from  neighboring  quarters  were  with  us,  and  seemed  to  be 
favored ;  especially  if  we  might  judge  from  the  length  of  their 
discourses.  I  suffered  in  silence  the  fore  part  of  the  meeting, 
but  being  favored  with  a  portion  of  the  quickening  spirit,  I  got 
some  relief  in  the  house  of  secret  prayer. 

26^7t.  This  day  was  our  general  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  at 
Wrightstown.  A  very  cold  day,  much  snow  in  the  roads,  and 
of  course  pretty  good  sleighing.  Much  people  were  in  at- 
tendance, and  much  speaking  by  the  several  ministers,  whose 
bells  seemed  to  me  to  send  forth  but  a  dull,  unavailing  sound, 
excepting  our  young  friend  S.  L.,  who  I  thought  had  the  most 
of  the  pomegranate  which  is  the  essence  of  the  Gospel.  I  was 
favored  to  sit  in  silence,  and  at  times  blessed  with  the  spirit  of 
prayer.  Indeed,  I  thought  concerned  Friends  of  Bucks  Quar- 
terly Meeting  might  thank  God  and  take  courage. 

11  til.  This  day  a  messenger  arrived  from  New  York  to  inform 
us  of  the  illness  of  my  very  dear  grand  daughter,  Phoebe  Ann 
Carle,  which  brought  my  mind  under  a  close  exercise  in  sorrow 
and  anxiety.     My  dear  Elizabeth  went  on  the  same  evening. 

28^7i.  A  day  of  sorrow  on  account  of  my  dear  grand  child. 
Towards  evening  got  relief  in  a  sweet  exercise  of  prayer  and 
supplication. 

^d  Month  1st.  Had  an  excellent  devotional  meeting  in 
silence. 

2d.  The  most  snow  on  the  ground,  and  the  coldest  weather 
I  ever  knew  in  the  Third  month.  No  mail  from  New  York, 
of  course  no  notice  or  information  about  my  children. 

3c?.  Intelligence  from  New  York  respecting  my  dear  little 
grand  daughter  of  a  very  discouraging  character,  which  pro- 
duced heart-rending  sorrow,  for  I  certainly  loved  her,  if  possi- 
ble, too  much ;  notwithstanding  I  would  rather  she  would  die 
in  her  present  innocence,  than  live  to  be  proud  and  wicked. 


141 

for  I  could  now  hope  tliat  in  heaven  her  angel  could  behold 
the  face  of  the  eternal  Father. 

4th.  Pretty  much  the  same  to-day.  Oh  I  how  hard  it  is  to 
resign  those  that  are  so  near  and  dear  to  us.  What  a  renewed 
evidence  of  my  own  weakness,  when  I  consider  how  much  ad- 
vice I  have  given  to  others,  in  the  time  of  affliction;  and  am  so 
little  disposed  to  take  my  own  advice,  when  sorrow  and  trouble 
come  to  my  own  door. 

6th.  This  day  intelligence  a  little  more  encouraging  from 
New  York. 

Gth.  Quite  encouraged  by  a  few  lines  from  my  son  in  New 
York ;  but  alas !  will  not  to-morrow's  news  be  like  a  lowering 
cloud?  This  day  attended  the  funeral  of  Rachel  Heston,  a 
woman  of  sorrow  and  acquainted  with  grief.  Had  a  solemn 
time  in  testimony  and  supplication,  but  a  fear  has  rested  on 
my  mind  that  my  remarks  on  war  had  more  of  party  zeal  than 
Gospel  authority. 

7fh.  A  letter  from  my  dear  Isaac  in  New  York.  Not  quite 
so  encouraging  respecting  our  dear  little  Phoebe  Ann,  only  the 
Doctors  think  now  her  disease  is  a  congestion  of  the  brain  in- 
stead of  a  dropsy.  If  she  is  raised  I  shall  believe  it  is  the 
Lord's  doings,  and  will  be  marvellous  in  my  eyes.  I  feel  as  if 
I  could  say  "  Thy  will  be  done.'^ 

Sth.  I  feel  almost  as  if  I  had  been  at  the  funeral  of  my  dear 
little  Phoebe  Ann — the  corpse  of  Louis  Willard's  little  daughter 
Hannah  was  so  much  like  her,  only  one  year  older.  Indeed 
like  her  in  almost  every  respect — almost  a  perfect  young  wo- 
man, at  the  age  of  thirteen,  the  darling  of  her  father,  to  whom 
he  never  had  occasion  to  speak  a  harsh  word.  It  seemed  as  if 
it  would  almost  break  his  heart.  Louis  lives  in  Southampton, 
among  Presbyterians.  He  is  not  a  member  among  Friends. 
The  opportunity  was  to  me  a  solemn  one.  We  met  at  the 
house  this  morning,  First  day,  at  nine  o'clock. 

9th.  This  day  received  a  letter  from  New  Y'ork  containing 
the  heart-rending  intelligence  of  the  death  of  our  precious  little 
Phoebe  Ann.  She  died  a  little  after  nine  o'clock  on  First  day 
morning,  and  what  seems  a  little  remarkable,  it  was  at  the 
very  time  I  was  standing  by  the  coffin  and  beholding  the  very 
image  of  her,  in  the  lovely  corpse  before  alluded  to.  I  remem- 
ber I  was  so  affected  I  had  to  retire  to  a  back  window,  and  al- 
most wept  aloud.     I  referred  in  my  communication  to  my  pe- 


142 

culiar  feelings,  having  a  grand-daughter  almost  exactly  like 
her,  then  at  the  point  of  death,  if  not  a  lifeless  corpse.  It  was 
one  of  the  most  solemn  and  affecting  opportunities  I  ever  had; 
and  after  my  return  home,  my  mind  seemed  clothed  with  some- 
thing like  a  solemn  melancholy,  until  the  arrival  of  my  very 
dear  daughter,  Sarah  H.  Parry,  and  her  husband.  I  had 
written  to  her  of  the  illness  of  dear  Phoebe  Ann,  but  she  felt 
so  anxious  that  she  left  her  little  babe,  and  came  eleven  miles, 
the  worst  of  travelling,  to  see  us,  and  returned  that  evening. 

This  day,  the  10th,  myself  and  wife,  my  son  Isaac  and 
daughter  Elizabeth,  were  to  have  been  at  the  wedding  of 
Joseph  Saunders  and  Mary  Parry,  daughter  of  my  very  dear 
friends  and  brother  and  sister,  Isaac  and  Mary  Parry.  But 
our  allotment  is  the  house  of  mourning,  instead  of  the  house 
of  feasting.  The  Lord  knows  best  what  is  best — blessed  be 
his  holy  name  forever. 

ll^A.  The  remains  of  our  dear  Phoebe  Ann  Carle  were  taken 
to-day  to  Westbury,  Long  Island,  to  be  laid  by  the  side  of  her 
dear  little  brother  Silas.  The  meeting  was  at  the  house  in 
New  York,  at  eight  o'clock.  My  mind  has  been  with  my  dear 
afflicted  children  all  day.  I  have  wept,  I  have  prayed — what 
can  I  do  more  ?  I  have  never  known  what  such  sorrow  was 
before.  Oh  !  that  my  blessed  Saviour  would  put  forth  his  arm 
of  power,  as  he  did  to  Peter,  that  my  poor  head  may  be  kept 
above  the  rollings  of  the  tempestuous  billows.  Oh  !  that  I 
could  have  got  a  letter  to-day. 

l^th.  A  day  of  gloom  and  sorrow.  Oh!  that  I  had  more 
faith  that  works  by  love,  which  is  that  charity  that  suffereth 
long,  and  is  kind ;  and  oh !  that  I  had  more  hope  that  would  be 
an  anchor  to  my  poor  soul,  which  seems  tossed  upon  the  tem- 
pestuous billows,  without  sun,  moon,  or  stars. 

14:th,  Seventh  Bay.  My  dear  son  Isaac  has  returned  from 
New  York,  without  any  accident,  and  reports  that  my  dear 
John  and  Susan  Carle  are  supported  beyond  what  could  have 
been  expected,  and  behave  with  Christian  dignity  under  their 
sad  loss.  It  is  the  Lord's  doings,  and  in  connection  with  what 
I  have  suffered  with  them,  marvellous  in  my  eyes.  Thanks- 
giving and  praise  be  ascribed  to  the  Lord  God  and  the  Lamb, 
for  ever  and  ever.  ]\Iy  poor  soul  feels  relieved  from  the  most 
intense  suffering  for  ten  days  I  ever  experienced. 

Second  Day,  the  IQth.  Yesterday,  till  afternoon,  was  com- 


148 

fortable,  for  I  had  a  solid,  silent,  sensible  meeting ;  but  in  the 
afternoon  talked  too  much,  and  too  lightly  for  my  peace.  Our 
sober,  goodly  neighbor,  James  Roberts,  was  buried  to-day. 
He  formerly  attended  our  meeting,  but  got  taken  with  the 
Methodists.  I  hope  he  was  a  lover  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  if 
so  has  experienced  his  ever  blessed  salvation. 

17tJi.  Yesterday  was  a  day  of  favor,  for  I  obeyed  the  apos- 
tolic injunction,  being  diligent  in  business,  and,  at  the  close  of 
the  day,  fervent  in  spirit,  that  the  Comforter  might  bind  up 
my  almost  broken  heart ;  for  I  feared  I  had  mourned  too  much 
for  the  loss  of  my  dear  little  Phoebe — weeping  almost  every 
hour  of  the  day.  But  oh,  precious  favor !  my  prayer  appeared 
to  be  answered,  and  I  can  truly  adopt  the  language  of  dear 
Job  Scott : 

"A  thankful  heart  I  feel, 

In  peace  my  mind  is  stay'd, 
Balsamic  ointments  heal 

The  wounds  by  sorrow  made." 

ISth.  Was  invited  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Elisha  Wilkinson, 
of  Philadelphia,  buried  at  Wrightstown.  Heard  of  the  death 
of  Daniel  Stroud — both  old  men  like  myself. 

19th.  A  day  of  favor ;  had  a  precious  meeting  in  silent  sup- 
plication.    '^  Thanks  be  to  Grod  for  his  unspeakable  gift.'^ 

23c?.  Yesterday  was  First  day.  Had  a  precious  meeting,  for 
my  poor  soul  was  quickened  into  life,  and  blessed  with  the 
spirit  of  prayer,  which  was  poured  forth  in  silence,  with 
many  tears.  I  felt  thanksgiving  and  praise  to  cover  my 
mind  through  the  rest  of  the  day,  yielding  sweet  peace  when 
I  laid  my  head  upon  my  pillow  at  night.  I  have  heard  of  the 
death  of  one  of  the  companions  of  my  youth,  Margaret  Rich- 
ardson, wife  of  John  Richardson,  near  Wilmington,  in  the 
State  of  Delaware. 

25th.  Been  quite  unwell  to  day,  though  upon  the  whole  a 
profitable  time,  for  I  was  engaged  in  writing  to  my  dear  sor- 
rowful children  in  New  York,  with  much  feeling,  and  many 
tears.  Heard  of  the  death  Aaron  Eastburn,  a  goodly  Ortho- 
dox Friend,  of  Solebury,  that  so  loved  the  Lord  Jesus,  as,  I 
hope,  to  witness  his  salvation.  I  felt  great  love  and  sweet- 
ness for  him.  Heard  of  the  death  of  William  Brown,  a  poor 
colored  young  man,  that  lived  with  Edward  Leedom,  who, 
with  his  valuable  wife,  were  kind  and  suffered  him  to  want  for 


144 

notMng.     All !  blessed  are  the  merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain 
mercy. 

26th.  A  good  day  for  me,  though  quite  unwell.  Had 
a  good  solid  silent  meeting,  two  of  my  dear  sisters  preached 
the  Gospel. 

27 fh,  2StJi,  29fh,  oOth  and  31.s«.  Laid  by  with  something 
like  an  inflammation  of  the  breast.  Received  the  affecting  ac- 
count of  the  death  of  Joseph  Davis'  wife,  Ellen,  the  once 
lovely  daughter  of  my  dear  old  friend  Stephen  Stevens,  of  the 
Valley.  Her  death  was  attended  with  peculiarly  distressing 
circumstances.  Oh  !  how  I  felt  for  her  dear  husband  and 
children. 

4:th  month  \st.  I  thought  it  would  be  right  to  make  a  few 
remarks  on  a  subject  that  I  fear  will  add  to  the  unsettlement 
of  Society,  prefacing  them  by  a  reference  to  an  act  of  my  own, 
which  some  Friends  think  is  quite  censurable. 

I  published  last  year  an  extract  from  my  narrative,  the  pur- 
port of  which  was  to  try  to  encourage  the  youth  of  all  parties 
in  the  Society  of  Friends,  to  unite  together  again,  and  by 
prftc^ica?  righteousness  and  p?-ac^«caZ  reform  (not  speculative,) 
save  the  Society  of  Friends.  Notwithstanding  I  know  my 
motive  was  to  do  good  and  not  evil,  my  little  milk  and  water 
concern  has  given  offence,  and  perhaps  set  a  bad  example,  for 
poor  J**=^,  (no  matter  who,  for  when  I  blame  I  pity,  and  there- 
fore must  conceal  the  name,)  thought  he  had  a  right  to  publish 
a  book,  and  put  his  name  to  it,  and  it  may  be  that  his  motive 
was  as  good  as  mine.  But  he  was  certainly  a  little  more  un- 
fortunate in  publishing  sentiments  that  make  him  an  offender 
against  the  plain  letter  of  discipline,  which  has  given  his  ene- 
mies an  advantage  over  him.  I  think,  with  all  his  learning, 
he  has  shewn  a  want  of  wisdom,  if  not  of  common  sense ;  for 
his  book  would  certainly  have  been  better  without  denying  the 
authenticity  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  And  may  we  not  apply 
to  him  those  pertinent  remarks  of  a  Christian  poet,  ''He 
is  learned  in  volumes  deep,  he  sets — in  wisdom  shallow.  His 
learning  is  like  the  lunar  beam,  it  affords  him  light, — but  no 
heat.  It  leaves  him  undevout — frozen  at  heart  while  specula- 
tion shines.'' 

It  appears  that  poor  J***  was  betrayed  into  this  notion  by 
what  is  but  too  common  with  young  preachers,  a  fondness  for 
distinction  and  speculation — hence  a  few  ambiguous  remarks 


145 

contained  in  a  letter  of  that  great  man,  E.  S.,  of  Alexandria, 
appears  to  have  been  sufficient. 

And  here  I  will  leave  E.  S.,  and  his  letter,  that  poor  J***'s 
defenders  have  produced  to  assist  him  in  his  contest  with  his 
friends,  and  the  plain  letter  of  discipline,  which  says  in  sub- 
stance, "  If  any  of  our  members  deny  the  authenticity  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  it  being  evident  that  they  are  not  in  unity 
with  us,  they  should  be  immediately  dealt  with,  and  if  they 
cannot  be  convinced  that  they  are  wrong,  they  should  be  dis- 
owned. Now  I  fear  poor  J-**  has  committed  himself  in  this 
objectionable  part  of  his  book,  for  if  I  understand  him,  he 
considers  Samuel  the  prophet,  like  Peter  the  hermit,  and  Da- 
vid, king  of  Israel,  like  Pope  Urban  the  2d,  and  that  part  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures  are  not  to  be  depended  upon,  being  writ- 
ten by  nobody  knows  who ;  who  was  just  as  likely  to  be  mis- 
taken as  any  other  writer.  If  poor  J*^^  expected  to  make 
his  book  better,  by  this  eccentric  flight  from  Jerusalem  to 
Jericho,  I  think  he  is  greatly  mistaken,  and  I  am  mistaken  if 
he  does  not  find  in  the  end,  that  the  skeptical  company  and 
spirit  he  has  now  introduced  himself  to,  will  strip  him  of  his 
youthful  innocence,  rob  him  of  his  peace  of  mind,  wound  him 
in  his  feelings  towards  his  best  friends,  and  eventually  leave 
him  more  than  half  dead ;  and,  although  there  may  be  good 
Samaritans  that  will  try  to  bind  up  the  wounds,  and  keep  him 
on  his  own  beast,  that  beast  may  be  so  crippled  in  its  feet  as 
to  not  carry  him  straight  any  more. 

And  now,  after  having  expressed  some  of  my  feelings  and 
fears  respecting  poor  J***'s  book,  I  will  leave  him  with  my 
own  little  word  of  exhortation  to  pass  for  what  it  is  worth, 
advising  my  dear  friends  to  do  the  same;  and  to  remember  for 
our  instruction  that  when  Hannah  Barnard  came  out  in  Eng- 
land, over  fifty  years  ago,  with  the  same  speculation.  Friends, 
by  getting  into  a  bitter  Orthodox  spirit,  made  bad  worse,  by 
the  manner  in  which  they  opposed  her,  and  only  proved  the 
truth  of  that  old  saying,  ''  that  two  wrongs  never  made  one 
right. '^  I  say  then,  better  let  poor  J***  and  his  book  alone; 
and,  if  I  am  not  very  much  mistaken,  this  redoubtable  book, 
with  my  own  little  penny  production  along  side  of  it,  will 
soon  sink  with  their  own  dead  weight,  undistinguished  among 
the  numerous  productions  of  a  quibbling,  scribbling  age. 

But  if  Friends  will  be  Orthodox  at  poor  J***'s  book,  they 
13 


146 

will  make  him  tlie  hero  of  a  party,  in  spite  of  all  his  consti- 
tutionally amiable  imbecility. 

4:th  month  4:fh.  I  am  this  day  sixty-six  years  of  age,  and  I 
think  it  will  be  safe  for  me  to  say  that  few,  and  full  of  evil, 
have  been  the  days  of  my  pilgrimage.  I  do  not  know  that  I 
have  done  any  good  for  my  merciful  Heavenly  Father's  cause, 
unless  it  was  publishing  that  very  little  book  that  has  given 
offence.  I  feel  sorrowful,  and  I  feel  straitened,  and  hardly 
know  what  to  do.  I  am  not  well  enough  to  work,  and  I  am 
not  sick  enough  to  be  confined  to  my  house  or  bed.  I  receiv- 
ed the  first  rudiments  of  my  religious  education  among  Friends, 
and  came  among  them  from  a  sense  of  religious  duty,  verily 
believing  that  they  were  what  they  professed  to  be,  'Hhe  peo- 
ple of  God,  called  Quakers."  I  have  been  trying  to  deifend 
them  against  the  charges  of  their  enemies,  but  I  confess  I  am 
discouraged,  and  almost  disposed  to  put  my  hand  on  my 
mouth  and  be  silent,  when  such  men  as  J.  J.,  above  alluded 
to,  come  out  with  such  sentiments  as  are  contained  in  his 
book. 

bth.  First-day  went  to  meeting  very  feeble  in  body,  and  got 
into  a  belief  that  I  must  preach,  and  I  fear  my  little  service, 
at  best,  was  like  Gideon's  teaching  was  to  the  people  of  Suc- 
coth,  as  it  were  with  briers  and  thorns ;  although  I  verily 
thought  what  I  had  to  say  was  the  truth,  notwithstanding 
it  appeared  so  uncharitable.  I  am  going  to  try  to  attend  all 
our  Monthly  Meetings.  Oh  !  that  I  may  do  it  in  silence.  I 
have  preached  much  for  Friends  of  Bucks  Quarter,  and  I  wish 
now  to  pray  for  them  in  solemn  silence,  the  little  time  I  have 
to  be  with  them. 

Qfh.  Much  better  in  health,  but  got  discouraged,  and  gave 
out  going  to  the  Monthly  Meetings,  though  dear  George  Hicks 
came  with  his  carriage  and  horses,  and  kindly  offered  to  take 
me.  I  did  not  understand  my  Divine  master  to  command  me 
to  go,  or  I  would  have  tried  to  go  at  the  risk  of  my  life.  I 
only  thought  I  felt  a  freedom  to  go,  and  was  afraid  I 
was  not  in  a  right  state  of  mind.  I  have  thought  very 
seriously  of  my  uncharitable  discourse  yesterday,  and  cannot 
see  that  I  was  wrong  in  declaring  what  I  did  for  truth,  for  the 
Saviour  told  the  Jewish  priests,  and  their  preaching  and  pray- 
ing satellites,  that  they  did  not  believe  in  him,  and  therefore 
should  die  in  their  sins,  and  never  come  to  him.     This  ap- 


147 

pears  to  have  been  strictly  fulfilled,  even  to  the  present  day. 
Will  it  not  be  the  same  with  unl3elieving  professing  Chris- 
tians? Jesus  Christ  told  his  disciples  that  as  they  believed  in 
God,  to  believe  also  in  him,  for  in  his  Father's  house  there 
are  many  mansions ;  and  that  he  would  go  and  prepare  a  place 
for  them,  and  come  unto  them  again,  that  where  he  was  there 
they  might  be  also.  The  disciples  witnessed  this  fulfilled  in 
his  spiritual  appearance  without  sin  unto  salvation.  Now 
where  Christ  was,  these  disciples  came;  hence  they  became 
Christ-like,  humble,  holy,  harmless,  and  entirely  separate 
from  the  sins  of  selfishness  and  covetousness,  the  leavening 
sin  of  unbelievers,  which  Christ  had  warned  his  disciples 
against  in  this  language,  "  Beware  of  covetousness,^'  and  which 
they  ever  afterwards  considered  "  idolatry.'' 

To  be  short,  it  appears  to  me  that  every  soul  that  comes 
where  Christ  is,  will  become  Christ-like,  and  all  such  will  show 
by  their  faithfulness  to  his  commandments,  that  they  are  real 
Friends,  rejoicing  when  they  can  do  good,  and  lend,  hoping  for 
nothing  again. 

I  am  led  to  these  reflections  from  having  just  heard  of  an  old 
Orthodox  elder  who  has  no  children,  manifesting  such  a  hard 
spirit  of  covetous  selfishness,  when  a  valuable  young  minister, 
with  a  large  family  of  children,  and  a  heavy  debt  upon  him, 
could  not  pay  all  his  interest.  I  say  it  made  my  heart  ache, 
and  caused  an  awful  fear  to  rest  upon  my  mind,  that  he  was 
not  acquainted  with  Christ,  and  therefore  would  die  in  the  sin 
of  coveteousness,  and  never  come  to  him,  and  it  is  my  fear  that 
such  professors  of  Christianity,  will,  in  the  end,  stand  in 
a  worse  predicament,  if  possible,  than  the  unbelieving  Jews. 

Ith  and  Sth.  Nothing  worthy  of  particular  notice  has  oc- 
curred, only  that  yesterday  was  a  serious  day  with  me,  occa- 
sioned perhaps  in  part,  by  a  distressing  dream  the  night  before, 
and  although  I  have  little  or  no  confidence  in  my  dreams,  I 
could  not  help  feeling  peculiarly  solemn.  To-day  I  think  I 
have  been  edified  and  encouraged  in  reading  two  of  dear  Wil- 
liam Penn's  sermons,  preached  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago.  Oh !  the  unity  and  love  I  feel  for  that  precious 
Friend.  How  I  do  wish  that  Friends  could  have  kept  more  to 
their  good  old  doctrine  and  discipline.  One  of  the  sermons  was 
preached  at  a  wedding  when  a  Quaker  wedding  was  a  serious 
thing,  a  solemn  religious   institution.     But  now  our  excellent 


148 

discipline  is  too  mucli  changed  into  a  civil  concern,  and  I  fear  is 
too  much  like  the  labor  saving  and  money  saving  machinerj  of 
the  day. 

9/A  and  10th.  Yesterday  morning  I  felt  myself  a  man  of 
sorrow  and  acquainted  with  grief,  and  I  secretly  rejoiced,  for  I 
feared  I  had  had  too  little  sorrow  and  enjoyed  too  much  happi- 
ness in  this  world  ;  but  now  I  hope  I  am  not  forsaken,  for  my 
sorrow  seems  to  increase, — the  Lord  knows  best  what  is  best, 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.  It  was  our  Monthly  Meet- 
ing, but  I  could  only  rejoice  that  I  was  silent,  for  I  could  find 
no  springs  of  life.  It  was  a  low,  discouraging  time  to  me,  but 
I  dare  not  find  fault  with  my  brethren  and  sisters,  fearing  the 
cloud  was  in  poor  me,  and  me  only. 

llth.  The  doctrine  of  the  apostle  opened  before  me  with  the 
greatest  clearness  that  I  ever  saw  it,  when  he  says,  there  "  Is 
now  no  condemnation  to  those  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  that 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit.  For  the  law  of 
the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,  hath  made  me  free  from  the 
law  of  sin  and  death.''  I  believe  the  Christian  can  attain  to 
this  through  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  watchfulness  unto  prayer, 
so  that  he  can  lay  down  his  head  at  night,  after  a  day  thus 
spent,  feeling  no  condemnation.  I  felt  encouraged  from  the 
precious  promise  of  the  Saviour,  "•  At  that  day  ye  shall  know 
that  I  am  in  my  father,  and  i/oii  in  me  and  I  in  you." 

\2>th.  Yesterday  was  First  day — a  day  of  favor — had  a  deep- 
ly instructive  meeting  in  solemn  silence.  I  say  deeply  instruc- 
tive, for  I  hope  I  shall  never  forget  the  preservation  I  ex- 
perienced from  preaching  from  a  clear  opening,  with  light  on 
the  subject,  but  a  secret  command  to  be  silent  and  reserve 
the  exercise  for  another  occasion.  This  morning,  the  13th,  felt 
as  if  I  ought  to  attend  the  funeral  of  our  aged  friend  Isaac 
Ryan,  but  dreaded  to  meet  the  scoffer,  the  game-maker,  and 
the  unbeliever,  and  almost  determined  to  go  another  way  on 
business ;  but  felt  so  uneasy  that  in  my  great  strait  I  opened 
the  Bible  that  lay  before  me,  and  was  solemnly  admonished  by 
an  apostolic  admonition.  I  gave  up  immediately  to  what  I 
thought  a  heavenly  vision,  and  went  to  the  funeral,  and  to  me 
it  was  a  memorable  opportunity,  for  which  my  poor  soul  over- 
flowed with  gratitude  and  thankfulness  to  the  heavenly 
Shepherd  for  such  mercy  and  goodness  to  me,  a  poor  unworthy 
creature. 


149 

14:th  and  IbtJi.  Diligent  in  business  and  somewhat  fervent 
in  spirit,  desiring  to  serve  the  Lord;  but  nothing  to  boast  of, 
save  a  sense  of  great  weakness  of  body  and  mind. 

IQth.  Just  returned  from  our  Fifth  day  meeting.  It  was  to 
me  a  precious  silent,  solemn  opportunity.  My  dear  younger 
brother,  J.  M.  S.  and  wife,  and  S.  A.  W.  were  favored,  I 
thought,  to  preach  the  gospel. 

lltJi.  Diligent  in  business,  but  I  fear  not  sufficiently  fervent 
in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord.  Therefore  I  did  not,  like  Daniel, 
feel  the  angel  of  his  holy  presence  touch  mc  about  the  time 
of  the  evening  sacrifice. 

ISth.  Diligent  in  business,  and  if  not  fervent  in  spirit,  se- 
riously thoughtful  about  death  and  eternity.  Oh  !  how  awful 
the  consideration  -,  I  have  nothing  to  depend  upon  but  the 
mercy  and  forgiveness  of  God,  for  I  have  no  works  of  righ- 
teousness of  my  own ;  I  am  nothing  but  a  poor  old  worthless 
insignificant  painter. 

19th.  Just  returned  from  our  First  day  meeting.  Whilst 
I  kept  silent  it  was  a  precious  opportunity,  but  my  preaching 
I  must  leave  for  the  judgment  of  others — not  daring  to 
say  anything  in  its  favor,  only  that  I  have  the  peaceful  evi- 
dence that  I  tried  to  do  right. 

20th.  Industriously  engaged  at  my  trade  or  business — 
working  with  my  own  hands  to  provide  things  honest  in  the 
sight  of  all  men,  ministering  to  my  own  necessities  and  them 
that  are  with  me,  which  always  produces  peace  of  mind  to  an 
humble,  honest  Christian. 

21st.  I  was  this  day  invited  to  the  funeral  of  my  poorneigh- 
bor  Charles  Buckman,  a  few  years  younger  than  myself.  How 
soon  it  may  be  my  turn  I  know  not,  but  it  certainly  cannot  be 
long,  and  with  all  my  high  profession  of  religion,  what  more 
can  I  have  to  depend  upon  in  a  dying  hour,  than  poor  Charles, 
who  made  little  or  no  profession.  If  we  are  saved,  it  is  not  by 
works  of  righteousness  of  our  own,  but  the  mercy  and  for- 
giveness of  Grod  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

22<7.  Ihavejust  returned  from  the  funeral  of  my  neighbor 
Charles  Buckman — a  great  crowd  of  people  to  whom  I  had  a 
word  of  encouragement,  having  a  comfortable  hope  that  my 
dear  brother  had  found  mercy  in  the  presence  of  a  merciful 
Saviour.  Spoke  of  the  funeral  of  another  of  my  neighbors, 
John  Ettinger,  a  young  store  keeper,  and  a  steady,  sober,  in- 
13* 


150 

dustrious  raan.  He  leaves  a  wife  and  two  small  children  to 
mourn  their  irreparable  loss.  Thus  while  a  poor  worthless 
creature  hangs  on  to  life^  the  promising  youth  are  taken 
away. 

23d.  Arose  from  my  bed  this  morning  comfortable  in  body 
and  mind.  What  a  blessed  favor  if  we  can  have  an  incontesti- 
ble  evidence  that  we  are  under  the  superintendence  of  Him 
who  careth  even  for  the  sparrow,  and  will  not  permit  any- 
thing to  happen  to  us  but  what  will  work  together  for  our 
good.  This  day  was  our  Fifth  day  meeting;  to  me  it  was  an  ex- 
cellent meeting,  for  I  was  favored  to  enter  into  the  closet  of 
my  heart  and  shut  to  my  door,  and  pray  to  my  Father  who 
seeth  in  secret,  who  has  so  often  rewarded  me  openly.  My  two 
younger  sisters  in  the  gospel  preached  sweetly. 

24:th.  Attended  the  funeral  of  John  Ettinger  ;  went  very 
poor  and  and  stript,  but  thought  I  was  favored  with  the  spirit 
of  prayer,  which  I  offered  both  spiritually  and  vocally.  Had 
an  humble  hope  that  my  dear  young  neighbor  made  a  good 
end,  and  was,  through  adorable  mercy,  received  into  everlast- 
ing happiness. 

2Dth.  Renewedly  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  more 
watchfulness  unto  prayer  and  talking  less  even  in  my  owa 
family. 

2Qth,  First  day  morning;  my  dear  S.  was  very  unwell  last  nighty 
a  high  fever  and  pain  in  the  breast.  Ah  !  we  must  part  even  if 
she  gets  better  this  time.  She  has  been  an  exellent  and  faithful 
wife  to  me  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  I  may  add  ia 
the  language  of  the  wise  man,  that  her  price  has  been  far  above 
rubies.  She  looked  well  to  the  ways  of  her  house,  and  eat 
not  the  bread  of  idleness.  Not  a  very  good  meetino^  to-day, 
owing  to  ray  own  neglect,  perhaps,  in  oflPering  the  morning  sa- 
crifice. Had  not  set  long  in  meeting  when  a  strange  young 
man  came  in  and  gave  me  a  note,  the  purport  of  which,  was 
to  spread  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  Susan  Cadwallader, 
wife  of  William  and  daughter  of  our  worthy  deceased  friend, 
Thomas  Stapler,  senior.  Made  a  few  remarks  on  that  inimi- 
table parable  of  the  householder  going  out  at  the  different 
hours  to  hire  laborers  in  the  vineyard,  that  may  only  pass  for 
what  they  are  worth,  which  may  be  very  little.  My  dear 
younger  brother  preached  the  Gospel,  I  thought,  in  its  bless- 
ed simplicity. 


161 

11th.  I  attended  the  funeral  of  Susan  Cadwallader^  and  was 
led  to  speak  to  a  sober,  sensible,  respectable  people.  But  the 
best  part  of  the  opportunity  to  me  was  the  silent  part,  because 
I  was  favored  with  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  supplication,  which 
I  offered  from  the  closet  of  my  heart  to  my  Father,  who  seeth 
in  secret.  I  am  informed  that  our  Orthodox  Friends  had  a 
quiet,  respectable  Yearly  Meeting  last  week,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  storm  of  words  on  Second  day  morning.  I  am  glad 
they  seem  disposed  to  try  to  cure  the  sad  diseases  of  Society,  by 
love  and  silence.  Oh!  that  we  may  do  the  same,  that  the  Lord  may 
yet  spare  his  people,  and  give  not  his  heritage  to  reproach.  I 
am  encouraged  to  believe  that  if  Friends  will  only  return  to 
the  path  of  humble  industry  and  practical  righteousness,  that 
the  younger  branches  of  Society  will  again  be  united,  and  the 
people  of  God,  called  Quakers,  gathered  into  one,  and  experi- 
ence what  was  spoken  of  by  the  Lord's  prophet,  "There  shall 
be  one  Lord  and  his  name  one.'' 

'Idith.  Had  an  agreeable  visit  from  one  of  the  female  com- 
panions of  my  youth,  and  her  husband.  She  was  a  young 
woman  that  I  loved,  and  with  whom  I  had  spent  many  happy 
hours,  innocently.  I  now  enjoy  the  advantages  of  being  pre- 
served even  in  what  I  call  negative  innocence. 

2%tk.  Attended  our  little  select  Preparative  Meeting,  at 
Makefield.  A  dull,  dry  time  to  me,  owing  no  doubt  to  my 
own  carelessness.  I  still  hope  that  my  silence  in  all  these 
meetings,  which  I  have  been  led  to  prescribe  as  a  remedy  to 
cure  the  disease  of  skeptical  ranterism,  that  is  getting  in 
amongst  us,  will  meliorate^  if  it  does  not  remove  the  com- 
plaint. 

30^/t.  This  day  was  our  Fifth  day  meeting,  to  me  a  precious 
religious  opportunity,  in  solemn  silence.  My  dear  youngest 
sister,  E.  S.,  preached  the  Gospel  in  child-like  simplicity. 
Spoke  of  the  funeral  of  Elizabeth  Buckman,  wife  of  Charles, 
that  was  buried  last  week,  which  appeared  to  bring  a  tender- 
ing solemnity  over  the  meeting.  In  the  afternoon  attended 
the  funeral  of  Benjamin  Dyer,  an  aged  neighbor,  near  eighty- 
six.  Had  nothing  given  me  to  say,  and  was  encouraged  and 
thankful  for  the  preservation,  for  I  began  to  fear  I  was  getting 
into  the  habit  of  preaching  at  funerals.  Oh  !  that  I  may  be 
preserved  from  being  a  dead,  formal  preacher,  and  a  light,  idle 
jester,  which  I  fear  I  gave  way  to  this  evening  in  too  unguard- 
ed a  conversation. 


152 

bth  mo.  \st.  A  singular  thing  has  occurred  to  day.  I  fully 
intended  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Elizabeth  Buckman,  but  be- 
ing intent  on  my  work,  when  I  enquired  of  my  son  the  time, 
he  told  me  it  was  a  little  after  the  hour  of  meeting  at  the 
house,  which  was  nearly  a  half  mile  off.  I  thought  then  it 
might  be  as  well  to  wait  until  they  came  to  the  grave  yard, 
which  was  close  by  my  shop,  and  resumed  my  attention  to  my 
work ;  and  on  making  a  second  enquiry  whether  the  funeral 
was  coming,  I  was  told  that  it  had  come  and  gone.  I  was 
really  astonished,  and  thought  it  a  singular  circumstance,  and 
if  I  had  had  a  special  command  to  go  I  should  have  been 
grieved  at  my  carelessness,  but  as  that  was  not  the  case,  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  might  have  been  best  for 
me  not  to  go.  It  is  quite  possible  for  even  Quaker  preachers 
to  get  into  a  habit  of  preaching,  and  the  people  in  a  habit  of 
hearing  them,  till  the  whole  concern  terminates  in  a  lifeless 
form. 

2d.  My  dear  brother,  Isaac  Parry,  came  to  invite  me  to 
the  funeral  of  Evan  Jones,  a  very  respectable,  useful,  and 
wealthy  Friend,  of  North  Wales,  and  took  me  home  to  his 
house,  so  that  I  could  attend  said  funeral  on  First  day  morn- 
ing, at  nine  o'clock. 

i6d.  Attended  the  funeral  of  E.  J.  It  was  very  large.  I 
was  thankful  to  be  favored  with  the  spirit  of  prayer,  but  it 
was  in  the  cross  I  offered  a  public  supplication  in  the  room 
with  the  mourners.  A  very  large  meeting  at  the  meeting 
house,  and  much  speaking,  but  I  think  I  have  cause  to  be 
thankful  I  was  preserved  in  silence.  Oh  !  that  the  Heavenly 
Shepherd  may  continue  to  extend  the  crook  of  his  merciful 
care,  whenever  I  attempt  to  preach  the  Gospel  willingly,  for 
there  is  deep  instruction  in  the  testimony  of  the  beloved 
Paul,  "For  though  I  preach  the  Gospel,  I  have  nothing  to 
glory  of,  for  necessity  is  laid  upon  me — yea,  wo  is  unto  me  if 
I  preach  not  the  Gospel.  For  if  I  do  this  thing  willingly,  I 
have  my  reward  :  but  if  against  my  will,  a  dispensation  of  the 
Gospel  is  committed  unto  me.^^  I  very  much  fear  that  the 
blessed  cause  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  professed  by  Friends,  has 
been  seriously  injured  by  ministers  being  too  willing  to  preach, 
or  in  other  words  preaching  in  our  own  will,  and  not  waiting 
for  that  wo  that  Paul  speaks  of. 

4^/i.  Received  two   invitations  to  funerals.     First,   Mary 


153 

Knowles,  an  aflSicted  widow,  aged  seveuty-eiglit,  to  meet  at 
the  liouse  at  ten  o'clock  tomorrow.  Second,  Elizabeth  Taylor, 
daughter  of  Phoebe  Taylor,  aged  fifteen,  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon. 

bth.  Just  returned  from  the  funeral  of  our  dear  friend 
Mary  Knowles.  It  was  large,  and  to  me  an  instructive  and 
encouraging  time,  because  I  did  not  act  in  my  own  will,  but 
from  a  secret  sense  of  religious  duty.  The  people  were  seri- 
ous and  solemn,  and  helped  the  poor  contemptible  instrument, 
and  not  the  poor  instrument  them,  as  is  too  commonly  boast- 
ed of  by  us  preachers. 

Just  returned  from  the  funeral  of  the  daughter  of  the 
poor  widow.  It  was  to  me  a  quiet,  silent,  solemn  opportunity, 
and  although  I  was  led  into  an  interesting  view  of  what  con- 
stituted Paul's  ^^  widow  indeed j'  I  am  thankful  I  kept 
silent, 

Qth.  Been  pretty  steadily  engaged  in  my  shop,  feeling  weak 
and  dull  in  body  and  mind,  of  course  nothing  worth  recording, 
excepting  my  serious  thoughtfulness  of  death  and  eternity, 
which  I  have  reason  to  look  for  daily,  if  not  hourly.  Oh  !  it 
will  be  an  awful  thing  to  die. 

My  soul. 
When  near  thy  close,  thou  hast  that  gulf  in  view  ; 
That  awful  gulf  no  mortal  e'er  repassed ; 
Eternity,  thou  dreadful,  pleasing  thought." 

Pleasing,  because  of  my  unshaken  faith  in  the  mercy  and 
forgiveness  of  God,  through  my  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ. 

7th.  To-day  our  Monthly  Meeting  was  held  at  Makefield; 
the  first  and  silent  part  was  to  me  a  good  meeting,  but  I  was 
sadly  disturbed  by  a  member,  respecting  what  I  feared  was  an 
extract  from  a  political  abolition  newspaper,  and  as  I  cannot, 
for  conscience  sake,  read  such  papers,  it  was  exceedingly  try- 
ing to  have  to  sit  and  hear  such  matter  said  over  and  over 
again  for  Gospel,  in  a  meeting  for  worship.  But  I  must  suf- 
fer in  silence,  for  my  Divine  Master  has  instructed  me  to  starve 
this  spirit  by  silence,  and  therefore  I  have  been  silent  for 
nearly  a  year  in  our  Monthly,  Quarterly  and  Select  Meetings. 
Indeed  1  have  apprehended  there  were  two  or  three  members 
of  our  Monthly  Meeting  that  were  particularly  employed  by 
a  junto  of  members  in  Philadelphia,  to  publicly  oppose  me  in 


154 

meetings  for  business,  for  even  in  meetings  for  worship,  one  of 
them  has  manifested  his  hostility  to  me  by  peculiar  contortions 
of  face  and  gesticulations  of  body,  getting  up  from  his  seat 
and  walking  to  the  fire  to  warm  his  feet  whilst  I  was  speaking, 
disturbing  the  solemnity  of  the  meeting,  manifesting  his  own 
weakness,  if  not  wickedness,  and  rendering  himself  ridiculous 
in  the  sight  of  the  whole  assembly.  In  one  instance,  I  pub- 
licly reproved  him,  and  had,  I  think  I  may  safely  say,  the 
thanks  of  the  whole  meeting,  and  his  own  mother  in  particu- 
lar. But  stop,  this  j)erhaps  will  not  do.  I  ought  to  know 
that  if  such  Quakers  as  these,  call  the  master  of  the  house 
"Beelzebub,  if  I  belong  to  the  household  I  must  expect  opposi- 
tion, and  ought  to  rejoice  in  being  worthy  to  suffer  for  Christ's 
sake. 

I  have  just  received  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  Joshua 
Gilbert,  of  Byberry,  a  Friend  in  the  station  of  an  elder,  about 
my  age,  to  meet  at  his  late  dwelling  at  ten  o'clock  on  Seventh- 
day  morning,  the  9  th  inst. 

8th.  Steadily  engaged  in  my  shop.  My  business,  though 
too  trifling  and  insignificant  for  a  Christian  to  follow,  affords 
me  an  honorable  and  I  hope  an  honest  living.  Having  to 
work  with  my  own  hands,  for  all  the  money  I  get,  appears  to 
me  to  be  more  in  accordance  with  primitive  Christianity,  than 
living  on  the  work  of  other  people's  hands;  especially  on  rent 
and  usury.  But  my  view  on  this  subject  appears  too  much 
out  of  fashion  to  be  united  with,  even  by  Friends,  I  there- 
fore must  leave  it  to  be  settled  before  the  tribunal  of  righteous 
judgment,  by  Him  who  commanded  his  faithful  servant  Moses, 
to  say  unto  his  people,  ''Thou  shalt  not  lend  thy  money  on 
usury"  3  and  to  his  son  Jesus  Christ,  "Do  good  and  lend, 
hoping  for  nothing  again,  and  great  shall  be  thy  reward  in 
Heaven." 

^th.  Went  ten  miles  this  wet  morning,  to  the  funeral  of  my 
friend  Joshua  Gilbert )  offered  a  word  of  exhortation  to  a  sober, 
sensible,  tender  people,  whose  lively  spirits,  together  with  su- 
preme heavenly  help,  appeared  to  hold  up  the  hands  of  a  poor 
trifling  preacher,  so  that  he  got  through  his  exercise  with 
peace  of  mind.  E.  P.  was  there,  and  spoke  beautifully.  Dined 
with  my  kind  friend  Israel  Walton.  Tried  to  speak  a  word  of 
comfort  to  the  poor  widow. 

10th.  First  day  of  the  week,  a  sweet,  heavenly  meeting,  in 


155 

solemn,  silent  supplication,  the  poor  unworthy  pilgrim  feels 
refreshed  and  encouraged,  and  intends  to  try  to  go  to-morrow 
morning  to  attend  the  Yearly  Meeting,  in  Philadelphia. 

11^/j.  Passed  a  sleepless  and  distressing  night,  in  the  course 
of  which  I  felt  satisfactorily  released  from  a  religious  concern 
to  attend  the  Yearly  Meeting,  which  I  consider  to  be  a  release 
from  suffering.  So  far  I  rejoice;  indeed  I  will  try  to  rejoice 
ever  more,  and  in  every  thing  give  thanks.  I  have  reason  to 
give  thanks  that  I  hare  renewed  evidence  that  I  may  lay  some 
claim  to  being  "a  so?z,"  ^^  For  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chas- 
teneth  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth,^'  and  to  a 
little  hope  that  I  am  filling  up  my  portion  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Oh  !  that  I  may  be  thought  worthy  to  drink 
of  the  cup  he  drank  of,  and  be  baptised  with  his  baptism. 
But  this  has  been  a  day  of  sorrow,  and,  I  trust,  profitable  suf- 
fering, and  I  hope  that  it  is  better  for  me  to  be  at  home,  hum- 
ble and  industrious,  weeping  and  praying,  than  in  Philadel- 
phia, idle,  talking  and  laughing. 

12th,  A  day  of  diligence  and  industry,  but  not  sufficiently 
watchful  unto  prayer,  and  therefore  felt  a  lack  or  shortness  in 
coming  up  to  the  apostolic  injunction,  to  be  "  diligent  in  busi- 
ness, fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord."  From  what  I  hear 
from  Philadelphia,  I  have  reason  to  hope  my  dear  friends  are 
getting  along  quietly  in  the  Yearly  Meeting,  for  which  I  feel 
thankful,  having  sincerely  prayed  that  the  Lord  would  spare 
his  people,  and  give  not  his  heritage  to  a  reproach. 

IStJi.  Nothing  worthy  of  particular  notice  has  occurred  to- 
day :  but  the  sound  of  war,  which  we  hear  from  almost  every 
quarter  is  sorrowful.  Although  we  are  at  a  great  distance  from 
the  immediate  seat  of  war,  yet  a  serious  consideration  of  the 
confused  noise  of  the  warriors,  with  garments  rolled  in  blood, 
must  be  a  subject  heart-sickening  to  the  true  Christian.  Friends 
appear  to  be  favored  to  get  along  without  much  contention  in 
their  Yearly  Meeting,  and  I  am  willing  to  hope  our  abolition 
Friends  are  getting  more  moderate  and  mild,  for  it  appears  to 
me  they  hurt  a  good  cause,  by  letting  their  zeal  outrun  their 
knowledge. 

14ith.  Our  midweek  meeting  to-day  rather  small,  but  to  me 
silent  and  profitable.  Had  a  pleasant  visit  from  Samuel  W. 
Doak,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  lived  in  Newtown  33  years 
ago ;  now  president  of  a  college  in  East  Tennessee.  He  appears 


156 

the  most  meelr,  humble,  unobtrusive  Presbyterian  minister  I 
ever  met  with.  Our  interview  I  think  was  mutually  agreeable. 
I  think  I  can  say  sincerely,  that  I  love  all  who  truly  lore  the 
Lord  Jesus,  let  their  name  and  profession  bo  what  it  may.  But 
the  true  love  of  Christ  is  only  proved  by  obedience  to  his 
commandments,  and  where  I  see  do  such  fruits,  I  consider  such 
hypocrites  and  unbelievers. 

\btli.  Nothing  has  occurred  to-day  requiring  particular  no- 
tice ;  but  information  respecting  our  Yearly  Meeting  is  rather 
discouraging.  The  political  abolitionists  among  Friends,  I  real- 
ly fear,  are  party  in  a  conspiracy  against  the  doctrine  and  dis- 
cipline of  the  Society,  determined  upon  its  dissolution.  How- 
ever, my  only  hope  of  the  preservation  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
— next  to  the  special  care  of  the  Head  of  the  church, — is  the 
uniting  of  the  religious  members  in  the  different  parties;  and  I 
feel  thankful  I  was  enabled  to  lay  before  the  youth  my  concern 
on  the  subject. 

IQth.  I  have  just  had  a  very  agreeable  visit  from  W.  B., 
formerly  of  Baltimore,  and  now  of  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Mary- 
land, who  has  been  attending  the  Yearly  Meeting  in  Philadel- 
phia which  closed  last  evening.  His  account  of  its  several  sit- 
tings was  not  so  discouraging,  and  my  friend  J.  B.'s.  account 
of  the  meeting  has  satisfied  me  that  our  sufferings,  both  individu- 
ally and  collectively,  if  we  keep  in  the  everlasting  patience,  will 
work  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 
Upon  the  whole  I  am  encouraged  to  believe  that  truth  gained 
the  victory  in  this  Yearly  Meeting.  Notwithstanding,  I  must 
acknowledge  there  is  a  spirit  of  skepticism,  ranterism,  and  con- 
fusion, that  I  have  not  prescience  enough  to  see  where  it  will 
end.  I  am  willing  however  to  hope  that  we  have  learnt  sufficient 
from  what  we  have  suffered,  to  act  with  more  Christian  kind- 
ness and  moderation,  in  case  of  another  separation. 

Vltli.  First  day  of  the  week  and  our  meeting  day  of  course, 
but  to  me  our  meeting  was  a  heavy,  laborious  time.  Instead 
of  having  any  bread  to  hand  out  to  others,  I  had  hardly  a 
crumb  to  live  on  myself,  owing  I  conclude  to  my  own  careless 
indolence.  My  poverty  is  therefore  the  due  reward  of  my 
deeds.  My  dear  younger  brother,  J.  M.  S.,  I  thought  preach- 
ed the  Gospel,  and  sister  S.  W.  spoke  a  few  good  words. 

18^A.  Being  indisposed,  I  have  neither  been  diligent  in  busi- 
ness, nor  fervent  in  spirit,  of  course  I  have  not  been  serving  the 


157 

Lord;  and  sensibly  feel  the  bad  effects  of  idleness,  and  idle 
conversation.  Oh  !  that  I  could  talk  less,  and  pray  more,  I 
should  be  better  prepared  to  live,  and  better  prepared  to  die.' 

\Sdtli.  I  have  been  seriously  thinking  of  the  vast  importance 
of  being  favored  with  the  piesence  of  infinite  mercy  and  good- 
ness. No  marvel  that  the  inspired  writer  should  record  ex- 
pressions like  this,  ''  One  hour  in  thy  presence  is  worth  a  thou- 
sand clsewaere/'  How  abundantly  I  am  convinced  from  ex- 
perience, as  well  as  observation,  that  self  righteousness  in  poor 
frail  mortal  man,  is  the  greatest  enemy  to  the  cause  of  God  on 
earth.  It  was  certainly  the  greatest  opposer  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
his  outward  advent,  and  constituted  then  the  only  unpardonable 
sin  ;  and  is  it  not  the  causeof  unbelief  in  his  spiritual  appearance 
as  professed  by  Friends,  and  the  foundation  of  all  the  unsettle- 
ment  and  disunity  among  us?  For  I  find  that  in  proportion  as 
I  suffer  myself  to  think  lightly  of  my  friends,  I  think  highly  of 
myself  On  the  other  hand,  when  I  abhor  myself  in  dust  and 
ashes,  I  am  concerned  to  love  and  respect  my  friends. 

20//i.  Had  an  invitation  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  woman  by 
the  name  of  Carr,  at  Wrightstown,  an  entire  strano-er.  Felt  so 
much  willingness  of  my  own  to  go,  that  I  doubted  the  propriety 
of  going,  fori  hope  that  I  have  a  holy  jealousy,  lest  I  should  have 
a  life  of  my  own,  in  preaching  at  funerals.  Yet  there  is  another 
important  consideration  arises  in  my  mind — I  profess  to  believe 
that  a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  of  Je8u%  Christ  is  committed 
unto  me, — it  involves  a  sacred,  an  awful  responsibility, — and 
as  time  to  me  at  this  period  of  life  is  very  precious,  ouf^ht  I 
not  to  embrace  every  opening  to  finish  the  work  that  is  given 
me  to  do?  and  is  there  not  something  like  an  open  door,  when 
a  special  invitation  is  sent  to  me  by  a  strang'jr  ?  This  was  the 
view,  my  dear  deceased  kinsman,  E.  H.,  took  of  it,  and  hence 
I  believe  he  always  attended  such  funerals,  when  able. 

2ls^.  Attended  the  funeral  of  the  woman  above  alluded  to. 
A  considerable  number  of  sober,  serious,  tender  people  were  in 
attendance,  whose  lively  sensible  spirits  enabled  a  poor  preach- 
er, to  get  along  in  his  religious  exercise  to  some  satisfaction. 
Dined  with  my  brother-iii-law,  T.  S.,  where  I  met  with  tiie 
life  of  Henry  Hull,  a  minister  among  Orthodox  Friends.  I 
was  sorry  to  find  I  had  iaibibed  such  strong  prejudices  against 
the  dear  deceased  Friend,  which  were  strengthened  by  what  I 
thought  a  perverted  account  of  Elias  Hicks,  and  what  he  call- 

14 


158 

ed  the  separatists.  However  it  is  quite  possible  that  my  strong 
prejudices  were  founded  in  a  wrong  spirit,  or  at  best  a  sudden 
gust  or  change  of  feeling,  which  poor  sanguine  creatures  like 
me  are  liable  to." 

When  I  read  the  account  of  that  most  excellent  woman, 
Henry  Hull's  first  wife,  wlio  died  while  he  was  in  England,  I 
felt  the  tenderest  love  and  respect  for  her,  and  sympathy  for 
him,  expecting  to  see  in  him  a  man  of  sorrow  and  acquainted 
with  grief:  but  alas!  what  was  my  disappointment,  in  behold- 
ing a  man  clothed — as  it  were — in  purple  and  fine  linen,  in  full 
pursuit  of  a  youngish  wife.  Alas  !  I  say,  for  poor  me,  who 
cannot  help  thinking  that  such  ministers  have  never  overcome 
the  '*  beast,  nor  the  image  of  the  beast,  nor  the  mark  of  the 
beast,  nor  the  number  of  his  name.'^  This  prejudice  was  in- 
creased from  my  observations  in  New  York  Yearly  Meeting 
31  years  ago.  His  spirit  towards  dear  old  Elias  Hicks  ap- 
peared to  me  to  be  malignant  and  bitter,  and  was  the  cause  of 
great  discouragement  to  a  poor,  weak  young  man,  who  thought 
he  then  saw  in  David  Sands  and  Henry  Hull,  the  first  efferves- 
cence of  that  dreadful  spirit  which  has  subsequently  distracted, 
divided,  and  disgraced  the  Society  of  Friends. 

The  inspired  writers  used  simple  but  strong  and  descriptive 
figures,  in  speaking  of  the  inconsistencies  of  high  professors. 
^'  As  dead  flies  cause  the  ointment  of  the  apothecary  to  send 
forth  an  unsavory  smell,  so  doth  a  little  folly  those  that  are  ac- 
counted vvise;'^  and  I  have  been  and  am  still  under  a  sad  temp- 
tation, at  times,  to  feel  malignant  and  bitter  at  those  wrong- 
headed  enthusiasts,  that  appear  to  me  to  be  using  every  effort 
to  destroy  the  harmony  of  Society,  and  should  I  give  way  to 
the  temptation,  I  should  be  worse  than  they  are.  I  therefore 
feel  it  ray  religious  duty  fervently  to  pray  to  my  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, for  power  to  withstand  the  temptation,  and  to  experience 
those  angry  feelings  to  be  resolved  into  sorrow,  like  my  divine 
Master,  when  he  looked  round  upon  such  unbelievers  ''with  an- 
ger, being  grieved  fur  the  hardness  of  their  hearts."  Oh  ! 
that  I  may  be  preserved  from  the  indulgence  of  this  gall  of 
bitterness,  and  bond  of  iniquity,  whose  abundant  fruits  furnish 
the  enemies  of  Christianity  with  their  most  formidable  argu- 
ments against  it. 

22cZ.  This  day  my  son  and  daughter  from  New  York,  came 
to  see  us,  and  notwithstanding  I  love  them  dearly,  and  their 


159 

dear  little  children,  Sarah  and  Edward, — yet  my  favorite, 
my  darling,  my  dear  little  Phoebe  Ann,  is  no  more,  for  this 
sorrow  fills  ray  heart,  and  my  eyes  overflow  with  tears,  while  I 
rejoice  ever  more,  and  in  every  thing  give  thanks. 

236?.  A  day  of  quietness  and  ease,  but  I  fear  of  too  much 
idleness  to  have  been  profitably  spent. 

24(?7i.  First  day  of  the  week.  Our  meeting  was  large  and 
the  silent  part  of  it  instructive.  A  short  feeling  communica- 
tion from  my  dear  younger  sister  E.  S.,  appeared  to  bring  so- 
lemnity over  the  meeting,  but  my  own  long  labored  discourse, 
may  have  done  more  hurt  than  good,  by  ofi'ending  some  and 
tiring  others, 

2bth.  A  day  of  peace  and  poverty.  The  dwelling  of  my 
soul  seemed  on  the  barren  heath  of  the  wilderness,  where  there 
was  neither  dew,  nor  rain,  nor  fields  of  offerings ;  while  my 
outward  man  is  comfortable  having  the  agreeable  company  of 
my  dear  son  and  daughter,  John  and  Susan  Carle,  with  their 
children  from  New  York. 

'IQth.  Nothing  has  transpired  that  needs  notice,  except  a  very 
warm  day  and  night,  almost  the  height  of  summer's  heat,  with 
much  lightning  and  thunder  and  the  grumbling  of  ungrate- 
ful mortals  about  the  wet  weather,  grudging  the  flies  their  share 
of  the  abundant  growth  of  wheat. 

'HI til.  Our  select  Quarterly  Meeting  at  Buckingham.  The 
day  being  unfavorable,  it  was  rather  small,  and  to  me  the  first 
part  exceedingly  hard  and  dry ;  but  after  wrestling  with  the 
angel  of  Grod's  presence,  like  Jacob,  the  day  dawned,  and  my 
poor  soul  was  so  far  blesssed  as  to  be  able  to  cry,  '^  Abba,  Fath- 
er;" and  I  had  a  precious  silent  opportunity. 

28<7i.  The  general  Quarterly  Meeting.  A  great  concourse 
of  people,  being  many  more  than  the  house  could  hold,  but 
Friends  were  relieved  in  part  by  the  kindness  of  an  Abolition 
lecturer  that  held  a  meeting  in  the  woods,  near  the  meeting 
house,  and  the  favor  would  have  been  appreciated  more  by  me, 
if  he  had  taken  all  our  noisy,  troublesome  members ;  but  three 
or  four  eloquent  orators  and  cunning  artificers  were  left  to 
worry  Friends,  and  try  our  patience.  However,  the  meeting 
was  so  much  better  than  I  had  anticipated,  that  I  felt  thank- 
ful, whilst  I  Wcis  favored  to  set  an  example  of  silence,  and  I 
thought  I  saw  and  felt  the  cause  which  led  my  dear  deceased 
kinsman  to  avoid  making  frequent  use  of  the  term  Saviour , 


160 

or  Christ,  in  his  communications.  A  Friend  in  the  minis- 
try that  I  love,  made  use  of  the  terms  '^  blessed  Saviour'^ 
and  ''  Christ/'  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  exceedingly  painful  to 
my  feelings;  while  others  appeared  to  avoid  the  terms  with  a 
seltish  caution,  equally  painful.  Alas !  I  thought  no  marvel 
that  dear  old  Elias  felt  the  concern  to  avoid  those  terms,  at  a 
time  when  Friends  were  joining  with  priests  and  politicians 
in  Bible  societies,  &c.,  making  use  of  those  sacred  terms  with 
a  superstitious  selfishness,  that  might  be  more  abominable  in 
the  divine  sight,  than  j)rofane  swearing;  and  although  our 
dear  old  friend,  in  his  zeal  to  shun  one  fatal  rock,  might  have 
run  too  near  the  other,  I  am  abundantly  persuaded,  were  he 
now  living,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  he  would  be  the  first 
man  that  would  come  out  against  these  superficial  Quakers^ 
that  are  trying  to  make  him  their  patron  saint  on  the  subject 
of  slavery;  while  they  are  joining  with  idle  lawyers,  broken 
down  politicians,  and  hireling  lecturers,  in  a  conspiracy  against 
the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Society  of  Friends — aiming 
their  deadliest  shaf.satthat  religious  committee  of  care,  called 
''  Select  Meeting" — which  Elias  considered  the  key-stone  of  the 
arch  of  our  religious  order,  and  said  if  it  was  taken  out  the 
Society  would  fall.  Could  it  be  possible  that  such  a  man  could 
have  any  unity  with  such  inconstant  members,  who  are  in- 
creasing their  folly  by  a  fanatical  scruple  against  rising  in  the 
time  of  public  prayer.  No,  that  excellent  man  would  view 
them  in  the  same  light  that  Fox,  Penn  and  Barclay  did  John 
Perrot,  Wilkinson,  and  Story,  who  tried  to  subvert  and  destroy 
our  early  Friends.  Indeed,  the  present  prospect  is  very  dis- 
couraging as  to  the  preservation  of  order  and  harmony  in  ou? 
Quarterly  Meeting,  for  the  ultra-reformers  seem  determined  to 
go  all  lengths,  to  carry  their  point  in  subverting  discipline, 
and  introducing  something  like  the  anarchy  of  the  Ranters. 
But  should  they  succeed,  and  produce  universal  confusion,  I 
still  have  a  hope  that  out  of  it  order  will  arise,  and  the  truly 
pious  souls  of  every  party  will  take  their  places  as  fixed  stars 
in  the  firmament  of  GocVs  power,  while  all  these  eccentric 
meteors  will  sink  undistinguished  in  the  common  mass  of  un- 
digested matter. 

Having  adverted  to  our  dear  deceased  friend  E.  H.,  I  have 
been  thinking  that  were  he  now  living,  seeing  the  state  his 
professed  friends  had  got  into,  by  running  into  the  sad  extreme 


161 

of  inconsistency,  lie  would  be  most  likely  to  make  free  use  of 
tlie  terms  "Saviour"  and  "Christ/'  and  boldly  and  powerfully 
assert  the  authenticity  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  opposition 
to  Hannah  Barnard's  speculations,  revived" by  J.  J.  and  others, 
to  which  I  know  he  was  very  much  opposed;  and  unite  in 
sentiment  with  his  old  substantial  friends,  especially  J.  C., 
who  declared,  in  our  late  select  Yearly  Meeting,  there  was  two 
parties  among  us,  and  they  were  both  wrong. 

29^7i.  My  kind  friend  M.J.  loaned  me  a  book  given  to  her 
by  her  father,  E.  K.,  who  set  a  high  value  on  it,  telling  his 
daughter  it  was  worth  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars;  and  as 
E.  is  a  friend  I  love  much,  I  began  reading  said  book  pre- 
possessed in  its  favor ;  and  although  I  have  read  but  little,  I  have 
almost  come  to  this  conclusion — it  is  a  little  like  our  wheat 
fields ;  there  appears  to  be  a  great  deal  of  good  wheat,  with 
now  and  then  a  bunch  of  cockle  with  its  blue  blossom  peering 
out  from  among  the  wheat,  and  by  a  close  examination  the 
wheat  will  be  found  considerably  injured  by  the  fly,  with  too 
much  nasty  cheat  among  it.  The  cockle  I  shall  call  ortho- 
doxy; the  fly,  self-righteousness;  and  the  cheat,  disbelief,  hy- 
pocrisy, and  infidelity. 

I  shall  only  paraphrase  on  three  excellent  pieces  or  articles 
in  this  compilation  of  tracts  published  by  orthodox  Friends — 
The  dying  sayings  of  James  Pemberton ;  A  striking  instance 
of  H.  Gr.,  a  lovely  young  woman  of  Philadelphia,  and  William 
Cowper's  account  of  his  brother  John, 

The  first  writer  appeared  to  me  to  have  too  much  of  that 
orthodox  spirit,  that  would  convert  sacred  things  into  some- 
thing like  a  dagger,  to  smite  a  brother  under  the  fifth  rib. 
James  Pemberton  is  made  to  say,  when  near  his  close,  "  I  have 
nothing  to  trust  in  but  the  merits  of  the  Redeemer,"  and  that 
the  "  mediatorship  of  the  Son  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  was  not  enough  inculcated  in  our  meetings."'  I  wish 
distinctly  to  be  understood  that  I  do  not  apply  orthodoxy  to 
the  mere  expressions,  as  I  understand  them,  but  to  the  spirit 
in  which  they  were  written,  and  more  especially  as  they  were 
published  to  serve  a  party  purpose :  for  it  is  too  well  known 
that  Orthodox  Friends  have  been  in  the  practice  of  ransacking 
the  acts  and  sayings  of  early  and  modern  Friends,  for  matter 
to  support  their  unkind  and  unjust  charges  of  infidelity  against 
some  of  the  best  of  their  brethren  and  sisters,  and  they  appear 

14* 


162 

to  have  been  sadly  put  to  it,  wheu  they  garbled  from  the  dying 
siyings  of  the  mere  wreck  of  a  great  man. 

I  have  been  credibly  informed  that  James  Pemberton — who 
had  been  a  great  Quaker  politician,  and  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Assembly — in  his  dotage  would  speak  in  meetings  for 
business,  where  his  communications  were  not  approved  of  nor 
united  with  by  some  of  the  leading  Friends  of  Philadelphia ; 
and  yet  when  that  dotage,  or  the  imbecility  of  extreme  old 
age,  must  have  increased,  these  same  Friends  can  make  use  of 
his  dying  sayings,  for  a  party-serving  purpose — especially  in 
publishing  them  in  the  tract  referred  to.  Now  the  sacred 
terms  '^  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ/'  <' Redeemer," 
"  Mediator,"  &c.,  are  precious  to  my  soul,  and  I  feel  it  my 
duty  to  use  them,  when  clothed  with  the  power  of  the  Gospel ; 
and  when  I  have  heard  them  used  in  the  same  power,  they 
have  drawn  tears  of  thankfulness  and  gratitude  from  my  eyes^ 
vnd  my  spirit  has  been  grieved  and  burthened  when  I  have 
heard  the  term  Jesus  substituted  in  their  place,  in  the  same 
party-ser^-ing  selfish  spirit  of  Orthodoxy,  which  formerly  almost 
deluged  Christendom  in  blood,  by  these  breakers  of  the  third 
commandment,  which  says,  ''Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain." 

These  spirits  among  Friends  are  what  I  compare  to  cockle 
in  our  wheat  fields,  and  their  flowery  speeches  and  writings  to 
the  beautiful  blue  blossom  of  the  noxious  weed,  which  in  its 
ratrral  process  terminates  in  a  hard,  black,  poisonous  seed, 
which,  if  not  blown  away  with  the  chaff  of  the  summer's 
threshing  floor,  must  be  burnt  with  unquenchable  fire. 

I  will  now  notice  the  interesting  and  deeply  instructive  ac- 
count of  the  conversion  and  happy  close  of  that  lovely  young 
woman,  H.  G.,  of  Philadelphia,  written  apparently  by  an  Or- 
thodox or  Methodist  minister  among  Friends.  This  beautiful 
piece,  which  I  read  with  the  deepest  interest  and  feeling,  ap- 
peared to  me  like  one  of  our  best  fields  of  wheat,  where  the 
ravages  of  the  fly  could  not  be  seen  until  one  went  into  it. 
The  writer  appears  to  have  felt  so  great  a  concern  for  this  ex- 
traordinary young  woman,  as  to  uuburthen  his  mind  by  writing 
a  letter  to  her,  and,  after  she  was  taken  sick,  called  at  the 
house  one  evening,  in  hopes  of  being  invited  into  her  chamber, 
but  was  disappointed.  Whether  it  was  the  disappointment,  or 
what  it  was,  I  cannot  say,  but  he  certainly  appears  to  me  to 


163 

talk  to  her  mother  more  like  a  zealous  young  Methodist  min- 
ister, than  an  humble,  experienced  Friend ;  and  can  we  not  see 
something  like  the  fly  among  the  wheat,  or  a  little  self- 
righteousness?  The  next  we  hear  of  our  friend  he  appears 
very  ylad  that  the  young  woman  sent  for  him,  and,  to  use  his 
own  words,  '^  I  gladly  obeyed  the  summons  -,'"  and  his  own  ac- 
count of  the  interview,  how  he  talked  and  how  he  made  a 
prayer,  presented  to  my  mind  something  very  much  like  the 
ravages  of  the  fly,  in  some  of  our  most  beautifully  looking 
wheat  fields.  I,  too,  have  often  been  sent  for  to  visit  the  sick, 
the  sorrowful,  the  dying,  but  I  do  not  remember  that  I  ever 
gladly  obeyed  the  summons,  especially  of  later  years.  I  might 
have  felt  the  temptation  to  be  self-righteous,  for  I  am  naturally 
very  proud,  but  in  most  cases,  I  think  I  may  say  with  thank- 
fulness, the  temptation  to  self-righteousness  was  superceded  by 
self  abasement  ]  and  I  have  entered  the  chamber  of  such  pre- 
cious souls  as  were  washing  a  Saviour's  feet  with  tears  of  re- 
pentance, with  sorrowful  sympathy ;  and  when  entered,  instead 
of  talking  and  praying,  like  my  Orthodox  Friend,  I  could  only 
weep  and  pray  secretly,  in  solemn  silence.  Yes,  the  Lord 
knoweth  that  I  have  often  entered  the  chambers  of  sickness 
and  death,  with  fear  and  trembling,  under  a  sense  of  my  un- 
worthiness  and  unfitness  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  one  whom 
a  Saviour  was  washing  in  the  laver  of  regenei'ation,  fearing 
lest  I  should  put  forth  an  unsanctified  hand  to  assist  in  the 
heavenly  work,  and,  like  too  many  Orthodox  ministers,  leave 
the  print  of  my  dirty  fingers.  But  I  suppose  I  would  be  told 
this  weakness  was  owing  to  a  want  of  belief  in  the  merits  of  a 
Redeemer,  or  t^iQ  propitiatory  sacrifice  made  eighteen  hundred 
years  ago,  without  the  gates  of  Jerusalem ;  and  in  not  inculca- 
ting the  mediator sM}}  of  the  Son  sufficiently,  in  our  religious 
meetings.  Well,  if  it  is  so,  there  must  certainly  have  been  a 
deficiency  in  my  Quaker  education,  for  I  have  no  recollection 
that  my  dear  old  adopted  Christian  mother  ever  made  use  of 
such  words;  nor  do  I  remember  to  have  heard  such  doctrines 
preached  in  our  religious  meetings  by  dear  James  Simpson, 
William  Blakey,  Oliver  Paxson,  and  other  dear  Friends  that 
were  as  spiritual  fathers  to  me,  when  I  first  appeared  as  a  min- 
ister among  them.  I  was  therefore  taught  to  believe,  with 
dear  George  Fox,  that  Christ  had  come  to  teach  and  to  save 
his  people  himself,  as  an  omnipresent  Saviour,  agreeably  to  his 


164 

own  blessed  promise,  ^^  If  any  man  love  me  he  will  keep  my        ■ 
words,  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto 
him  and  make  our  abode  with  him" — and  again,   ''  He  that 
hath  my  commandments  and  keepeth  them,  he  itisthat  loveth 
me,  and  he  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved  of  my  Father,  and  I         ! 
will  love  him,  and  manifest  myself  to  him."  j 

I  forbear  to  go  any  further  into  the  boundless  field  of  doc-  ;i 
trinal  disquisition,  and  only  add,  that  I  read  the  last  piece  or 
tract  referred  to,  with  tears  in  my  eyes  and  love  in  my  heart 
for  that  dear  young  woman,  who,  having  washed  her  Saviour's 
feet  with  the  tears  of  repentance,  wiping  them  as  it  were  with 
the  hairs  of  her  head,  and  having  in  the  depths  of  humility,  felt 
the  overflowing  of  that  heavenly  love  that  could  kiss  his  feet — her 
Saviour  freely  forgave  her  her  sins,  however  numerous,  for  she 
loved  much ;  and  if  the  writer  should  suffer  the  destructive  fly 
of  self-righteousness  to  continue  its  ravages  in  his  soul,  he  may 
turn  out  in  the  end,  I  fear,  like  too  many  of  our  wheat  fields 
in  this  year,  1846,  not  worth  the  gathering. 

I  will  hasten  to  finish  my  paraphrase  by  a  few  short  remarks 
on  that  Christian  poet  William  Cowper's  account  of  his  brother 
John,  who  it  appears  was  a  professed  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
of  the  established  church  of  England — a  very  learned  man,  a 
very  popular  minister,  who  was  flattered  to  the  highest  pitch ; 
a  perfect  modern  gentleman,  living  in  idleness  and  luxuiy,  on 
a  rich  salary,  drawn  from  the  vitals  of  the  poor.  This  man, 
at  the  very  time  that  he  was  officiating  as  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  was  living  without  God  in  the  world,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  confession  upon  his  death  bed,  and  was 
trying,  or  wishing  to  establish  himself  in  Deism.  Hear 
his  own  words  :  '•'■  I  was  just  beginning  to  be  a  Deist,  and  had 
long  desired  to  be  so )  and  I  will  own  to  you,  my  brother, 
what  I  never  confessed  before,  that  my  function  and  the  duties 
of  it  were  a  weariness  to  me  "which  I  could  not  bear,  yet, 
wretched  creature  as  I  was,  I  was  esteemed  religious,  although 
I  lived  without  God  in  the  world,''  This  is  a  confession  from 
one  of  the  worst  of  sinners,  for  I  cannot  conceive  of  any  thing 
so  abominably  wicked  as  such  a  clerical  hypocrite,  unless  it  is 
an  unbelieving  Quaker  minister ;  and  1  sincerely  wish  that  all 
such  hireling  ministers — and  I  fear  ninety-nine  out  of  a  hun- 
dred are  such — could  be  brought  to  the  same  state  of  sorrow 
for  their  sins,  that  there  may  be  joy  in  heaven  over  ma??^  sin- 
ners that  repent. 


165 

This  excellent  narrative  of  Cowper's  is  well  worth  reading : 
it  is  worth  more  than  my  dear  friend  E.  K.  said  the  whole 
book  was  worth;  for  if  it  confirms  my  prejudices  against  these 
wretched  hirelings,  it  justifies  Friends  in  fiiithfully  bearing 
their  ancient,  honorable,  and  truly  Christian  testimony,  against 
a  set  of  men  who  at  best  will  be  found  like  a  wheat  field  that 
has  more  cheat  than  wheat.  Happy  was  it  for  poor  John 
Cowper,  that  these  tares  were  burnt  up  before  he  went  to  final 
judgment. 

30/A.  Read  the  life  of  Thomas  Shillitoe,  an  English  Friend, 
for  whom  T.  had  had  a  high  esteem  for  many  years,  but  whose 
missionary  services  in  this  country  lessened  that  esteem,  more 
especially  his  unchristian  conduct  towards  my  dear  old  friends 
Elias  Hicks  and  Elisha  Dawson,  and  I  have  been  ready  to  con- 
clude it  would  have  been  better  for  him  if  he  had  never  left 
his  own  country,  because  he  would  have  been  more  like  his 
divine  Master,  who  never  had  a  concern  to  visit  kings  and 
emperors,  potentates  and  priests,  or  even  to  travel  out  of  the 
land  of  Judea,  although  he  could  walk  on  the  waters.  If, 
then,  the  example  of  the  Saviour  is  to  be  respected,  and  if  he 
and  his  first  disciples  never  visited  potentates,  or  high  priests, 
only  when  dragged  there  to  be  persecuted,  what  great  value 
can  the  admirers  of  Thomas  Shillitoe  and  Daniel  Wheeler  at- 
tach to  their  extensive  missionary  labors,  that  cannot  with 
equal  propriety  be  attached  to  the  far  more  extensive  and  suc- 
cessful missionary  labors  of  Ignatius  Loyola,  and  John  Adam 
Schall,  the  great  missionary  to  China,  whose  sufierings  and 
privations  were  far  greater.  I  will  therefore  respect  and  love 
Thomas  Shillitoe  and  Daniel  Wheeler,  just  as  far  as  they  say 
by  their  spirit  and  example,  ^^  follow  us  as  we  follow  Christ," 
and  no  farther ;  for  it  is  sealed  with  renewed  instruction  on 
my  mind,  that  every  sect  of  j^rofessing  Christians  has  suffered 
irreparable  loss,  just  in  proportion  as  it  has  departed  from  the 
precepts  and  example  of  Christ,  the  great  head  of  the  Christian 
Church,  the  perfect  pattern  of  everlasting  righteousness  :  and 
what  better  authority  has  Thomas  Shillitoe,  Daniel  Wheeler, 
and  others,  for  their  extensive  missionary  labors,  than  those 
devoted  missionaries  thus  referred  to  by  a  late  and  eminent 
English  writer :  ''In  spite  of  oceans  and  deserts,  of  hunger 
and  pestilence,  of  spies  and  penal  laws,  of  dungeons  and  racks, 
of  gibbets  and  quartering-blocks,  Jesuits  were  to  be  found, 


166 

nnder  every  disguise,  and  in  every  country — scliolars,  phy- 
sicians, merchants,  serving-men,  in  the  hostile  court  of  Swe- 
den, in  the  old  manor  houses  of  Cheshire,  among  the  hovels  of 
Connaught;  arguing,  instructing,  consoling,  stealing  away  the 
hearts  of  the  young,  animating  the  courage  of  the  timid,  hold- 
ing up  the  crucifix  before  the  eyes  of  the  dying.  The  old 
world  was  not  wide  enough  for  this  strong  activity.  The 
Jesuits  invaded  all  countries  which  the  great  maritime  dis- 
coveries of  a  preceding  age  had  laid  open  to  European  enter- 
prise. In  the  depths  of  Peruvian  mines,  at  the  marts  of  the 
African  slave  caravans,  on  the  shores  of  the  Spice  Islands,  in 
the  observatories  of  China,  they  were  to  be  found.  They  made 
converts  in  regions  which  neither  avarice  nor  curiosity  had 
tempted  any  of  their  countrymen  to  enter ;  and  preached  and 
disputed  in  tongues  of  which  no  other  native  of  the  west  un- 
derstood a  word.^'  Should  these  remarks  ever  be  read  by  an 
Orthodox  Friend,  he  may  feel  oifended  to  think  that  I  would 
presume  to  compare  dear  Thomas  Shillitoe  and  Daniel  Wheeler 
to  Roman  Catholic  missionaries,  and  the  devout  Catholic  may 
be  still  more  ofi'ended  at  the  attempt  to  make  it  appear  that  a 
Quaker  preacher,  whom  he  verily  believes  to  be  a  poor,  ignorant, 
insignificant  heretic,  is  fit  to  be  compared  to  that  great  apos- 
tolic father  of  the  order  of  Jesus,  Ignatius  Loyola,  or  Mathew 
Ricci,  the  Catholic  star  of  the  east ;  while  the  truly  humble, 
meek  believer  in  the  divine  Saviour,  may  rest  satisfied  with 
the  words  or  testimony  of  eternal  truth  respecting  missionaries, 
"  Wo  unto  you  scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites,  ye  would 
compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte,  and  when  he  is 
made  ye  make  him  two-fold  more  the  child  of  hell.'' 

It  has  been  upon  my  mind  for  several  days  past,  to  write  a 
short  memorial  respecting  our  dear  deceased  friend  Hannah 
Parker,  a  minister  in  good  unity  and  high  esteem  with  Friends 
of  Makefield  Monthly  Meeting,  and  many  others.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Parker.  Her  mother  was 
of  an  Irish  Presbyterian  family  named  Johnson,  among  the 
earliest  settlers  of  this  neighborhood.  Her  parents  being  poor, 
Hannah  was  put  early  to  work  in  the  kitchens  of  the  more 
wealthy,  notwithstanding  the  feebleness  of  her  constitution. 
When  Friends  were  permitted  first  to  hold  a  religious  meeting 
in  the  old  Court  House,  near  thirty  years  ago,  she  was  among 
the  children  that  attended  regularly  on  First  days,  but  claimed 


167 

no  particular  notice  for  several  years.     At  last  it  was  perceived 
that  she  had  changed  her  dress,  little  by  little,  until  she  was 
observed  in  the  character  of  a  plain  little  girl,  attending  our 
midweek  meetings.     About  this  time  the  Presbyterians  had 
got  a  new  minister,  a  fine  looking  young  widower,  of  course  a 
great  favorite  with  weak  women.     Agreeably  to  clerical  policy, 
he  set  himself  about  reviving  his  congregation,  and   finding 
Hannah  and  her  family  belonged  to   no  particular  society,  he 
no  doubt  felt  it  his  duty  to  reclaim  her  from  the  errors  of  her 
way,  making  use  of  her  mother  as  a  principal   instrument  in 
the  concern ;  and,  although  Hannah  was  remarkable  for  her 
silent,  unobtrusive  conduct,  it  appears  that  she  was  persecuted 
in  the  house  of  her  professed  friends,  or  led  by  their  mistaken 
zeal  into  the  street  called  Strait,  where,  like  Saul  of  Tarsus, 
she  prayed.     During  this  dispensation  of  affliction,  while  her 
poor  body  appeared  to  be  hastening  to    an  untimely  grave  by 
pulmonary  consumption,  her  immortal  soul  was  deeply  exer- 
cised in  the  school  of  Christ.     Having  laid  for  some  days  and 
nights  without  taking  notice  or  nourishment,  she  was  thought 
by  her  family  and  physician  to  be  near  her  end,  when  she  re- 
vived, and,  making  signs  to  her  mother — for  she   could  not 
speak,  but  in  a  low  whisper — she  began  to  tell  her  what  won- 
ders she  had  seen  and  felt ;  and  as  her  strength  increased,  she 
spoke  to  her  brothers  and  sisters,  and  such  of  her  neighbors 
as  came  to  see  her,  in  a  remarkable  manner :    and  when  she 
had  so  far  recovered  as  to  attend  our  meetings,  she  publicly 
espoused  the  cause  of  her  Redeemer,  who  had  thus  wonderfully 
raised  her  up  as  a  monument  of  his  adorable  mercy  and  good- 
ness.    She  then  made  application  to  be  received  into  member- 
ship with  Friends,  and  was  received  with  open  arms,  and  soon 
after  opened  a  concern  to  visit  the  families  of  our  Monthly 
Meetings,  which  was  united  with,  and  she  set  at  liberty,  and 
assisted  in  the  concern ;  and  it  is  the  testimony  of  my  heart, 
that  a  more  precious  visit  was  never  paid,  since  nor  before. 
Her  gift  as  a  minister  was  brought  before  our  Monthly  Meet- 
ing, agreeable  to  our  excellent  order,  and  fully  acknowledged- 
and  united  with.     Indeed,  it  was  a  wonderful  gift,  for  it  ap- 
peared to  stand  distinct  and  separate  from  two  of  the  idols  of 
a  fallen  world,  natural  talents  and  learning,  and  therefore  it 
might  be  said  of  her,  in  some  degree,  as  William  Penn  said  of 
George  Fox — she  was  all   of  Grod  Almighty's  own  making. 


168 

Had  lier  strengtli  of  body  been  commensurate  with  tlie  spiritual 
energies  of  her  soul,  she  might  have  appeared  one  of  the  most 
dignified  servants  or  handmaids  of  the  Lord,  that  has  ever 
been  in  our  Society.  But  her  i)oor  body  was,  comparatively 
speaking,  a  mere  shadow,  or  a  compound  of  weakness ;  never- 
theless, she  performed  several  religious  visits,  and  one  as  far 
as  Virginia,  leaving  seals,  wherever  she  went,  of  a  true  Gospel 
spirit.  There  is  one  circumstance  which  continues  to  present 
itself  while  I  am  writing.  Hannah  attended  the  funeral  of  a 
Methodist  neighbor,  and  was  led,  I  thought,  to  speak  in  a 
clear  and  powerful  manner — opening  some  interesting  Gospel 
truths  that  came  in  contact  with  some  of  the  dogmas  of  the 
Presbyterian  minister,  who,  being  prejudiced  against  Hannah, 
made  public  opposition  in  a  language  like  this :  "  If  the  doc- 
trine we  have  heard  is  true,  I  should  have  no  more  hope  of 
salvation  than  the  devils,  and  damned  in  hell ;"  and  other  ex- 
pressions, beneath  the  dignity  of  the  Christian,  or  even  the  gen- 
tleman. He  had  scarcely  finished,  when  a  proposition  was 
made  to  move  to  the  grave-yard,  and  whilst  I  was  filling  the 
grave,  I  again  heard  the  voice  of  our  friend,  in  a  language 
like  this,  ''I  have  no  controversy  with  these  people,'^  meaning 
the  priests,  "  but  the  Lord  has,  and  will  call  them  to  a  solemn 
reckoning;  it  is  only  for  me  to  address  them  in  the  pertinent 
language  of  the  apostle,  '  Oh,  full  of  all  subtility  and  all  mis- 
chief, thou  child  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness, 
how  long  is  it  ere  thou  wilt  cease  to  pervert  the  right  ways  of 
the  Lord  ■/  "  and  more  to  the  same  effect,  which  I  forbear  to 
give,  lest  my  recollection  should  not  be  strictly  correct.  In  a 
word,  poor  Hannah  Parker  was  a  most  extraordinary  minister. 
I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  hearing  her  misquote  scripture, 
or,  according  to  my  little  knowledge,  make  a  grammatical  blun- 
der, and  to  me  she  was  one  of  the  sweetest  preachers  I  ever 
heard ;  and  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  her  life  not  only  give 
incontestible  evidence  of  the  power  of  the  principle  professed 
by  Friends,  but  would  furnish  rich  materials  to  a  ready  writer, 
for  a  memorial  that  might  be  worth  reading — as  for  me_,  I  can 
only  give  a  rough  sketch.  It  appears  that  her  bodily  powers, 
owing  to  a  feeble  constitution,  could  not  be  sustained  without 
a  continual  miracle ;  she  therefore  gradually  sunk  under  her 
infirmities  till  she  was  pretty  much  confined  to  her  bed,  several 
years  before  she  died;  and  notwithstanding  the  kindness  and 


169 

attention  of  Friends  to  the  poor,  she  suffered  a  complication  of 
troubles,  in  addition  to  her  sleepless  nights  and  wearisome 
days ;  but  in  the  midst  of  all,  her  head  appeared  to  be  kept 
above  the  rollings  of  the  tempestuous  billows,  and  the  feet  of 
lier  mind  firmly  fixed  upon  the  rock  of  the  Israel  of  Grod,  and 
if  only  a  few  of  her  comforting  and  encouraging  expressions 
were  recorded,  it  would  extend  this  memorial  to  too  great  a 
length  :  suf&ce  it  to  say,  that  the  last  expressions  I  ever  heard 
from  her,  gave  me  more  encouragement  than  any  thing  of  the 
kind  I  ever  heard  before  or  since.  Poor,  dear  Hannah,  she 
appeared  to  drink  deeply  of  the  cup  of  suffering  her  Saviour 
drank  of,  for,  like  Himj  she  was  pretty  much  forsaken  by  all 
her  family,  but  her  dear  mother ;  although  a  Presbyterian, 
there  appeared  to  be  that  unchangeable  union  of  love,  that  I 
trust  has  united  their  spirits  in  the  mansions  of  eternal  glory. 
And  will  it  be  too  much  to  say  that,  in  some  degree,  like  her 
blessed  Saviour,  towards  the  last  of  her  sufferings  she  was  al- 
most constrained  to  cry  out  ^^  Eloi,  Eloi^  lama  sahacthani ;" 
which  might  have  caused  some  of  her  secret  enemies  to  wag 
their  heads  with  that  horrible  satisfaction  that  characterised 
the  enemies  of  a  suffering  Saviour,  in  beholding  the  effect  of 
that  depression  which  frequently  precedes  the  extinction  of 
animal  life — especially  the  life  of  a  poor  weak  woman.  Not- 
withstanding all  this,  had  she  been  the  daughter  of  the  Honor- 
able J.  J.,  or  even  the  grand-daughter  of  the  more  venerable 
J.  W.,  there  would  have  been  petty  poets  enough  to  make  her 
an  angel,  or  hireling  newspaper  scribblers  sufficient  to  make 
her  a  saint.  But  as  she  was  the  daughter  of  poor  William 
and  Mary  Parker,  brought  up  in  the  path  of  humble  industry, 
with  natural  talents  scarcely  standing  at  mediocrity,  and  with 
hardly  school  learning  enough  to  read  and  write — and  so  poor, 
as  to  this  .world,  that  like  her  divine  Master,  she  had  not  where 
to  lay  her  head — it  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  her  poor  illiterate 
brother  in  religious  fellowship,  to  write  this  short  memorial  of 
one  of  the  most  extraordinary  ministers  that  ever  belonged  to 
the  Society  of  Friends. 

Having  been  led  into  the  remembrance  of  some  of  my  dear 
deceased  friends,  I  will  here  notice  that  excellent  man,  John 
Stapler,  the  elder,  who  was  an  elder  indeed,  worthy  of  double 
honor,  for  he  was  a  practical  philanthropist,  who  not  only  felt 
for    the    oppressed    Indian    and    African,  but    for  his  poor 

15 


170 

fellow  ereatures,  in  the  circle  of  which  he  moved,  especially 
such  as  were  in  debt  and  difficulty,  and  tried  to  persuade  the 
rich  creditor  to  lower  his  interest  or  usury  to  three  per  cent , 
at  least  to  i^/^e  poor,  declaring  that  he  doubted  the  consistency 
of  a  Christian  taking  usury  from  his  poor  brother, — seeing  it 
was  positively  forbidden  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  worthy 
man,  by  endeavoring  to  relieve  the  oppressed  debtor,  not  only 
involved  himself  in  serious  difficulties  with  money  mongers, 
but  was  too  often  treated  with  ingratitude  by  the  very  persons 
he  had  exerted  himself  to  relieve.  But  the  emphatical  man- 
ner in  which  I  have  heard  him  express  his  forgiveness  of  his 
enemies,  the  religious  care  that  he  observed  not  to  speak  evil 
of  any, — the  promptitude  and  honesty  with  which  he  pointed 
out  to  his  friends,  privately,  their  faults,  their  failings  and  con- 
sequent danger,  proved  him  to  be  a  compound  of  the  gentle- 
man and  the  practical  Chrisian.  His  wife  Hannah,  was  like- 
wise an  elder,  and  appeared  to  me  one  of  those  silent  and 
loving  women  (described  by  the  inspired  poet,)  whose  price  is 
far  above  rubies,  a  woman  whose  husband  praised  her,  while 
sitting  in  the  gates  amongst  the  elders  of  the  land, — a  woman 
whose  children  now  rise  up  and  call  her  blessed ;  remembering 
that  she  opened  her  mouth  with  wisdom,  and  in  her  tongue  was 
the  law  of  kindness.  Thomas  Stapler  was  brother  to  John, 
and  in  the  language  of  the  English  poet — one  of  "  the  noblest 
works  of  God,"  for  he  was  ''  an  honest  man."  His  wife 
Achsah,  was  like  her  sister  Hannah,  one  of  the  excellent  of  the 
earth,  and  an  elder  indeed. 

Joseph  Taylor  was  a  worthy  elder,  and  but  for  his  entire  loss 
of  hearing,  which  abridged  his  usefulness,  he  might  have  been 
worthy  of  double  honor,  for  his  friends  loved  him  very  much, 
— he  being  an  example  of  the  believers  in  meekness — in  up- 
rightness— in  faith,  and  in  purity.  His  brother,  William  Tay- 
lor, was  a  minister  highly  esteemed  and  beloved  by  Friends  and 
others,  and,  although  Makefield  Monthly  Meeting  has  publish- 
a  memorial  respecting  him,  I  cannot  ijass  by  him  without  an- 
other expression  of  my  great  love  and  unity  with  him.  His 
interesting  widow  and  daughters  are  amongst  my  nearest  and 
dearest  of  kind  neighbors.  Jacob  Cadwallader  was  an  elder  and 
a  brother-in-law  to  the  foregoing  Friends,  and  appeared  to  be  a 
sweet  spirited,  tender  hearted  Friend,  who  well  understood 
what  is  called  the  eleventh  commandment,  "  every  man   mind 


171 

his  own  business."  He  likewise  possessed  some  of  the  best 
qualifications  of  a  bishop,  vigilant,  sober,  of  good  behavior — 
given  to  hospitality — not  given  to  wine — no  striker — not  greedy 
of  filthy  lucre,  but  patient — not  a  brawler — not  covetous — 
having  a  good  report  of  them  that  are  without. 

"  Wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole 
world,  there  shall  also  that  this  woman  hath  done  be  told  for 
a  memorial  of  her,'^  see  Mathew,  26th  chap.  13th  verse.  The 
life  of  the  worthy  and  venerable  Rachael  Paxson,  who  died 
in  the  8th  month  1842,  at  her  residence  in  this  township,  in 
the  95  th  year  of  her  age,  furnishes  a  powerful  and  practical 
argument  in  favor  of  following  the  Divine  Saviour  in  the  path 
of  humble  industry.  We  are  informed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures 
that  when  the  infinitely  wise  Jehovah  was  pleased  to  manifest 
Himself  in  the  fulness,  and  present  to  a  world  of  intelligent 
beings  a  perfect  pattern  of  everlasting  righteousness  in  the  per- 
son of  his  beloved  Son,  that  pattern  was  found  walking  in 
the  path  of  HUMBLE  INDUSTRY,  preaching  the  doctrine  with 
indubitable  clearness,  that  the  wayfaring  pilgrim,  though  a  fool 
as  to  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  may  walk  in  the  Truth  and  not 
err.  '^Seest  thou  this  woman  ?"  She  was  left  near  fifty  years 
ago,  by  a  loving  and  faithful  husband,  the  object  of  her  youth- 
ful affections,  a  sorrowful  widow,  with  a  large  family  of  little 
daughters,  and  an  infant  son  in  her  arms.  Like  too  many  poor 
widows  she  was  left  with  a  little  property  encumbered  with 
debt :  and,  what  added  to  her  afliiction,  she  was  advised  by 
those  she  thought  her  best  friends,  to  sell  off  and  break  up 
housekeeping.  Thus  she  would  have  been  deprived  of  a  home, 
she  must  have  put  out  her  poor  little  daughters  to  receive  their 
education  in  the  kitchens  of  the  rich,  where  such  children  are 
too  often  neglected,  if  not  exposed  to  bad  company  and  hard  treat- 
ment, while  she  herself  and  her  little  son  might  have  had  to  seek 
an  asylum  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  some  kind  relative,  or 
been  coldly  assisted  by  her  friends.  This  kind  of  advice, 
however  honest  the  intentions  of  the  counsellors,  has  proved,  I 
fear,  a  serious  injury  to  too  many  poor  widows  and  orphans, 
who  with  a  little  encouragement  might  have  done  better,  was 
not  to  be  taken  by  this  woman.  She  had  been  brought  up 
in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  and  being  now  introduced 
into  the  school  of  affliction,  she  asked  counsel  of  her  Divine 
Master,  who  encouraged  her  to  exercise  the   energies  of  her 


172 

body  and  powerful  mind,  in  that  path  that  is  cast  up  for  the  just 
man,  and  which  is  compared  to  the  luminous  orb  that  rises  in 
the  hemisphere  and  shines  with  increasing  splendor,  till  it  "  ar- 
rives at  the  meridian  altitude  of  a  glorious  and  perfect  day." 
Thus  encouraged,  she  sold  the  best  part  of  the  land  with  all  the 
buildings,  and  honestly  paid  the  debt,  or  so  reduced  it  that  she 
could  get  along.  By  the  most  indefatigable  exertions,  she 
raised  an  humble  dwelling  on  the  poorest  part  of  the  land, 
where,  by  the  wonderful  power  of  industry,  she  kept  her  little 
family  together,  fed,  clothed  and  schooled  them  ;  for  this  wo- 
man had  recognized  in  the  character  of  a  mother,  a  responsibil- 
ity that  could  not  be  delegated.  Hence  the  great  concern  she 
felt  to  take  cure  of  those  lambs  herself,  that  were  given  herein 
the  wilderness  of  this  world,  by  the  everlasting  Shephoixl  and 
Bishop  of  souls.'^  Dear  widows,  be  encouraged  in  beholding  the 
life  of  THIS  WOMAN,  and  lift  up  your  heads  in  hope,  for  the  same 
Shepherd  of  Israel  that  sleeps  not  by  day  nor  slumbers  by 
night,  continues  to  watch  over  poor  widows  that  are  "  widows 
indeed,''  that  faithfully  follow  him  in  the  path  of  humble  in- 
dustry— speaking  peace  to  their  afflicted  souls^  as  he  spoke 
through  the  mouth  of  his  prophets  formerly :  "  Oh  thou  af- 
flicted, tossed  with  temj^ests  and  not  comforted^ — behold  ! 
will  lay  thy  stones  with  fair  colors,  and  lay  thy  foundations 
with  sapphires,  and  I  will  make  th}"  windows  of  agates,  and  thy 
gates  of  carbuncles,  and  all  thy  borders  of  pleasant  stones, 
and  all  thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord^  and  great  shall 
be  the  peace  of  thy  children.'' 

This  promise  was  remarkably  fulfilled  in  the  family  of  this 
WOMAN  ]  she  lived  to  see  her  children  respectably  raised 
and  five  of  her  daughters  happily  married  ;  her  grand  children 
and  great  grand  children  coming  up  after  her  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord.  She  lived  to  witness  what  few  widows 
have  ever  known — her  only  son  foregoing  the  alluring  enjoy- 
ments in  the  ways  cf  men,  to  devote  himself  with  every  en- 
dearing attention  to  his  precious  mother,  by  which  her  latter 
days  were  rendered  as  peaceful  and  happy  as  they  could  be 
in  this  world.  Indeed, no  serious  and  reflecting  mind  could  visit 
this  "'Elect  Lady"  with  her  children,  and  be  in  possession  of 
her  little  history,  without  being  renewedly  convinced  of  the  great 
importance  of  following  the  blessed  Saviour  in  the  path  op 
HUMBLE  INDUSTRY — a  path  that  not  only  leads  to   the  enjoy- 


173 

ment  of  rational  happiness  in  this  world,  but  everlasting  hap- 
piness in  the  world  to  come.  For  a  better  description  of  a  per- 
fect woman,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  inspired  poetry  in  the 
last  chapter  of  Proverbs,  ''Many  daughters  have  done  virtuous- 
ly, but  thou  excellest  them  all/' 

I  could  notice  many  other  valuable  Friends  of  Makefield 
Monthly  Meeting,  but  I  shall  close  with  a  short  account  of  my 
dear  deceased  aunt,  Margaret  T.  Hicks,  a  minister,  who  stood 
high,  not  only  with  Friends  of  Makefield,  but  with  Bucks 
Quarter.  Her  maiden  name  was  Thomas,  and  I  think  she 
was  a  native  of  Long  Island,  and  a  distant  relation  to  her  hus- 
band, and,  according  to  her  own  account,  had  been  a  wild, 
wayward  girl,  extremely  fond  of  music  and  dancing.  She  mar- 
ried ray  uncle,  Joseph  Rodman  Hicks,  a  very  handsome 
young  man,  whose  constitutional  eccentricity,  disqualified  him 
from  filling,  with  perfect  propriety,  his  social  and  relative  du- 
ties; and  hence  his  wife,  as  a  matter  of  course,  was  intro- 
duced into  the  street  called  Strait,  or  in  other  words,  into  a 
state  of  sufi'ering  and  sorrow,  which  was  so  sanctified  to  her, 
through  the  eternal  power  of  truth,  that  the  scales  fell  from 
her  spiritual  eyes,  and  she  saw  the  way  the  ransomed  in  Jacob 
and  the  redeemed  in  Israel  must  walk  in,  and  taking  up  the 
cross  of  Christ,  she  pressed  forward  towards  the  crown,  which 
she  found  was  not  to  be  obtained  but  through  humble  obe- 
dience. Griving  up  at  last  to  the  heavenly  vision,  a  dispensa- 
tion of  the  gospel  was  committed  to  her,  in  which  she  witness- 
an  enlargement,  and  became  an  able  minister,  that  might  say 
in  the  language  of  the  apostle,  "  I  was  made  a  minister  ac- 
cording to  gift  of  the  grace  of  God,  given  unto  me  by  the  ef- 
fectual working  of  his  power ;  to  me,  who  am  less  than  the 
least  of  all  saints,  was  this  grace  given,  that  I  might  preach 
among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ/'  In- 
deed she  was  a  precious  minister  to  me,  and  a  very  dear  mo- 
ther in  our  Israel,  whom  I  loved  much.  In  the  decline  of  life  she 
had  to  drink  deeply  of  the  cup  of  gall  mixed  with  wormwood, 
following  to  the  grave  her  husband  and  six  of  her  children,  after 
they  were  grown  up.  Being  thus  stript,  she  took  up  her  resi- 
dence with  her  only  son  Charles,  in  Philadelphia,  where  she 
continued  to  live  until  she  was  between  eighty  and  ninety  years 
of  age,  closing  her  earthly  pilgrimage  in  the  innocence  of  a  lit- 

15* 


174 

tie  child,  and  I  hope  she  has  landed  safe  on  that  happy 
and  peaceful  shore,  in  that  eternal  land  of  rest  where  sorrow  is 
unknown. 

I  have  thus  endeavored  to  give  a  little  biographical  sketch  of 
some  of  the  active  members  ofMakefield,  in  the  days  of  our  pros- 
perity, when  all  the  wiles  and  stratagems  of  cunning  and  Ortho- 
doxy could  not  break  our  ranks  or  destroy  our  unity.  Not  one  of 
our  select  members  went  with  them,  and  only  two  obscure  fami- 
lies in  the  whole  Monthly  Meeting. 

This  Monthly  Meeting  was  first  opened  in  the  6th  month, 
1820.  The  Friends  who  sat  in  the  galleries  at  Makefield  at 
that  time  are  all  dead,  both  men  and  women,  but  on  the  men^s 
side  at  Newtown,  one  minister  and  two  elders  are  still  living. 
But  oh,  how  solemn  the  consideration  that  they  must,  in  the 
course  of  nature,  soon  go ;  for  thus  it  is  ordered  in  the  immu- 
table wisdom  of  an  omnipotent  Creator,  that  one  gener  ation  of 
men  and  women  should  go  and  another  come,  and  that  eveci 
our  meeting  houses  should  be  evacuated  and  replenished  by 
troops  of  succeeding  pilgrims. 

31s^  First  day — a  dull  day  and  a  dull  meeting,  owing  on 
my  part,  I  fear,  to  spiritual  indolence,  or  ray  mind  being  like 
the  inn  we  read  of  in  the  New  Testament,  which  was  so 
filled  with  finer  guests,  there  was  no  room  for  a  Saviour, 

^th  month  1st.  Seriously  thoughtful  about  talking  too  much. 
I  have  been  favored  to  keep  silent  in  our  meetings  for  busi- 
ness, touching  the  unsettlement  and  confusion  among  us.  I 
wish  I  could  be  more  silent  out  of  meeting,  and  more  engaged 
in  secret  prayer,  that  the  Lord  would  spare  his  people  and  no 
longer  give  his  heritage  to  reproach. 

2c?.  Communicated  the  above  feelings  and  exercise  to  my 
dear  younger  brother  in  the  ministry,  J.  M.  S.,  hoping  they 
may  be  useful  to  him. 

3(7.  Spent  in  reading  and  writing.  There  are  certainly  many 
most  excellent  pieces  among  the  tracts  published  by  Orthodox 
Friends.  I  could  have  wished  they  had  not  tried  to  imitate 
the  priests  in  their  mode  of  expression,  nor  had,  what  I  fear, 
so  much  selfish  design  in  the  selection  of  their  matter;  how- 
ever, I  may  be  too  jealous,  and  therefore  judge  them  wrong- 
fully. I  will  therefore  leave  it  to  Him  who  knows  the  secrets 
of  our  hearts. 


175 

4:th.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  at  Newtown.  I  opened  a  pros- 
pect to  my  friends  of  paying  a  religious  visit  to  all  the  Quar- 
terly Meetings  in  our  Yearly  Meeting,  including  the  half-year's 
Meeting  at  Fishing  creek;  and,  if  way  opened,  to  appoint  some 
meetings  and  visit  some  families.  My  concern  was  taken  hold 
of  by  the  meeting  and  generally  united  with, — the  women  with- 
out a  dissenting  voice  ;  but  two  ultra  reformers  cavilled  while 
the  concern  was  before  men  Friends,  and  after  it  was  settled 
and  a  minute  prepared,  and  I  had  left  the  meeting,  one  of 
them  came  out  with  an  expression  of  disunity.  They  might 
both  be  right,  for  had  they  expressed  unity  and  sympathy,  they 
might  have  heaped,  as  it  were,  coals  of  fire  on  my  head,  for  I 
certainly  had  no  unity  with  them,  and  our  difference  must  be 
left  to  be  settled  by  a  higher  tribunal.  I  do  not  know  but 
what  L.  M.,  that  talented  creature  in  Philadelphia,  has  done 
more  towards  destroying  the  unity  of  our  Monthly  Meeting, 
than  Jonathan  Evans  with  all  his  influence  as  a  ruling  elder, 
could  do  twenty  years  ago ;  for  he  only  got  two  silent  satellites, 
while  she  appeared  to  have  two  of  our  most  chattering 
members. 

5th.  Went  to  Middletown  Monthly  Meeting,  and  had  a  feast 
of  fat  things,  with  wine  on  the  lees  well  refined.  Dear  J.  C. 
was  there  and  preached  the  everlasting  gospel,  comforting  and 
encouraging  my  poor  soul,  more  than  all  the  preaching  I  have 
heard  this  seven  years,  my  own  included.  Dined  with  him  at 
P.  M.'s  and  parted  with  him  in  the  tendering  cementing  power 
of  Eternal  Truth.  The  subject  matter  on  which  he  was  led 
to  speak,  was  the  state  of  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  when  he 
was  besieged  by  an  impious  and  blasphemous  enemy.  His 
preservation  and  deliverance  was  brought  about  by  prayer  and 
silence.  Oh  1  that  Friends  could  be  instructed  by  what  "  was 
written  aforetime  for  our  learning,  that  we  through  patience  and 
comfort  of  the  scriptures  might  have  hope.''  True  Christians, 
according  to  my  view,  are  now  the  Israel  of  God.  The 
Christian  part  of  the  Societ}^  of  Friends,  are  now  beseiged  by, 
what  I  fear  I  may  call,  an  impious,  if  not  a  blasphemous  spirit. 
I  was  therefore  rejoiced  to  find  ray  dear  friend  J.  C.  united 
with  me — that  our  safety  and  deliverance  depended  upon  our 
rallying  to  our  distinguishing  position — Silence  in  the  house 
of  prayer )  answer  them  not  a  tcord. 


176 

6tJi.  A  day  of  comparative  idleness  and  ease,  with  but  little 
if  any  improvement  in  best  things. 

"  Count  that  day  lost  whose  low  descending  sun 
Sees  from  thy  hand  no  worthy  action  done.'' 

7t7i.  First-day  a  large  meeting,  but  it  was  not  one  of  my 
good  silent  meetings,  for  I  was  led  into  a  communication, 
which  appeared  to  me  rather  an  insignificant  concern.  Had 
the  company  of  Sally  Janney,  wife  of  my  dear  friend  Phineas 
Janney,  from  Alexandria,  Silas  Edson  and  wife,  from  Phila- 
delphia, and  all  my  children  and  grand-children,  to  dinner :  it 
was  indeed  a  social  and  rational  enjoyment,  but  I  had  to  leave 
them  to  attend  an  appointed  meeting  at  Banner  KnowFs, 
eight  or  nine  miles  up  the  Delaware.  My  dear  young  friends, 
J.  M.  S.  and  wife,  went  with  me.  A  large  concourse  of  peo- 
ple were  in  attendance,  amongst  whom  dear  E.  S.  I  thought 
had  good  service.  I  said  a  good  deal,  and  I  think  it  is  like- 
ly to  but  little  purpose,  like  all  the  rest  of  my  sayings. 
However,  the  people  behaved  remarkably  well,  and  I  believe 
some  thought  we  had  a  good  meeting. 

Sth.  I  fear  this  day  has  been  a  day  of  too  much  shackling 
idleness,  for  a  true  Christian,  whose  time  in  this  world  ought 
to  be  considered  too  precious  to  be  trifled  away. 

9th.  "Went  in  the  stage  to  Bristol,  on  my  way  to  attend 
Haddonfield  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  at  Medford.  At  Bur- 
lington, called  to  see  Joseph  Parrish,  son  of  my  dear  deceased 
friend,  Doctor  Parrish,  who  is  now  a  practising  physician  in 
that  place.  Joseph  and  his  wife  were  very  kind,  and  ofiered 
to  take  me  out  to  their  mother's,  but  their  brother  John  Par- 
rish being  in  town  by  himself,  I  went  out  with  him,  and  paid 
a  visit  to  the  venerable  John  Cox,  a  minister  among  Orthodox 
Friends,  now  in  his  ninety-third  year.  He  appeared  to  me  to 
manifest  the  dignity  of  the  gentleman,  with  the  innocence  of  a 
child.  In  the  afternoon  John  Parrish  took  me  to  Mount 
Holly,  to  the  house  of  my  dear  friend  George  Hulme.  The 
children  of  the  excellent  Doctor  Parrish  appear  to  have  a  fair 
start  in  the  world,  at  almost  every  point ;  but  alas  !  methinks 
I  see  an  enemy  lurking  near  their  path,  ''the  friendship  of  the 
world,"  that  is  always  courting  wealth  and  fame,  and  leaving 
the  suffering  seed  to  weep  and  lament.  But  perhaps  the  less 
I  say  on  this  subject  the  better,  for  the  world  appears  not  to  be 
prepared  to  receive  my  testimony. 


177 

10th.  Went  in  company  with  my  dear  friend  George  Hulme 
to  the  Select  Quarterly  Meeting,  and  indeed  it  was  a  precious 
meeting  to  me,  for  I  was  favored  to  be  silent  and  to  get  in  the 
house  of  prayer.  Dined  at  the  tavern,  and  although  I  fear 
my  conversation,  was  too  light  and  trifling,  some  of  my  friends 
thought  some  good  was  done. 

llfh.  Attended  the  general  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  in  a 
beautiful  new  house,  built  and  presented  to  Friends  by  the  late 
valuable  Benjamin  Davis,  of  Medford.  I  tried  to  have  a  good 
meeting,  but  really  I  could  scarcely  get  a  crumb  of  bread,  for 
our  ministers  seemed  a  little  like  school  boys,  playing  ball, 
and  appeared  to  me  to  be  all  the  time  tossing  the  loaf  of  bread 
about  in  the  air,  so  that  I  could  not  seemingly  get  any,  and 
therefore  thought  I  had  reason  to  complain,  like  the  little 
Presbyterian  boy  did  of  their  meetings,  telling  his  mother  that 
they  would  not  give  him  time  to  think,  and  asked  permission  to  go 
to  a  silent  Quaker  meeting.  However,  I  was  truly  glad  that 
I  labored  after  heavenly  bread  in  silence. 

12tk.  My  kind  friend  Greorge  Hulme  sent  me  in  his  carriage 
to  "Burlington,  in  company  with  two  of  his  cousins,  John  Hulme' s 
daughters,  pretty  little  Episcopalians,  who  appeared  to  be 
pious  girls.  It  is  astonishing  how  successful  the  Orthodox 
have  been,  with  the  assistance  of  the  priests,  to  fix  prejudices 
in  young  and  tender  minds  against  Friends,  and  it  is  sorrow- 
ful to  think  how  these  prejudices  are  confii-med  by  the  skepti- 
cal speculations  of  some  of  our  own  members.  I  had  consi- 
derable difficulty  to  convince  them  that  the  religious  Society 
of  Friends  that  I  belonged  to,  did  not  deny  the  authenticity 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  nor  did  we  hold  the  sentiments  that 
we  were  charged  with  Iby  our  enemies.  In  a  Friend's  house, 
at  Bristol,  I  met  with  an  Orthodox  publication,  in  which  was 
what  they  called  an  account  of  the  heresy  of  Elias  Hicks,  and 
the  separatists,  a  perverted,  sophistical  statement,  designed  to 
produce  the  prejudices  above  alluded  to,  and  the  writers  as 
well  as  publishers  must  have  been  ignorant,  or  very  wicked, 
for  I  know  their  account  is  false;  and  considering  the  situation 
the  Orthodox  are  now  in,  they  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  them- 
selves, to  be  thus  venting  their  spleen  and  bitterness  on  such 
Friends  as  dear  old  Elias,  and  John  Comly.  Why,  I  do  not 
know  but  what  the  apostle  Paul,  if  he  was  to  read  such  an  ac- 
count, and  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  it  was  false,  would  not 


178 

be  constrained  to  address  the  wi'iter  as  lie  did  one  formerly, 
'"'■  Oh !  full  of  all  subtilty,  and  all  mischief,  thou  child  of  the 
devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness  ;  wilt  thou  not  cease  to 
pervert  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord/' 

13^/t.  It  is  to  me  a  sorrowful  and  discouraging  consideration 
to  behold  again  belligerent  parties  rising  up  among  Friends.  I 
thought  I  saw  in  the  late  Quarterly  Meeting  "  sorrowful  symp- 
toms, big  with  death/^  A  dear  brother  in  the  ministry,  whom 
I  love,  made  use  of  the  term  "blessed  Sa^doui-,''  which  sound- 
ed unsavoury,  while  his  opponent,  with  an  eloquence  that 
sounded  like  that  of  a  learned  clergyman  and  lecturer,  appear- 
ed carefully  to  avoid  the  above  term,  and  substituted  that  of 
Jesus,  which  to  me  was  equally  unsavoury,  and  if  I  am  not 
mistaken  in  the  real  sentiments  of  the  speaker,  a  little  pro- 
fane. Understand  me,  the  words  "blessed  Saviour  and 
Jesus,''  I  love,  and  would  wish  to  use  them  with  rever- 
ence and  a  feeling  heart,  not  for  party  purposes  and  unbe- 
lief 

14^7?.  First-day,  had  one  of  my  most  precious,  silent  meet- 
ings. I  had  craved  or  begged  on  my  pillow  a  good  silent 
meeting,  and  my  prayer  was  granted  in  a  most  memorable  man- 
ner; for  which  my  soul  feels  gratitude,  thanksgiving,  and 
praise  to  him  that  sittith  upon  the  throne,  and  the  Lamb.  My 
dear  younger  sister,  E.  S.,  appeared  in  solemn  supplication, 
and  although  I  could  not  hear  her  distinctly,  it  was  attended 
with  a  precious  feeling  that  had  no  fellow. 

\htli.  Engaged  in  my  shop,  working  with  my  own  hands, 
and  minding  my  own  business,  studying  to  be  quiet,  and  walk 
orderly  amongst  my  neighbors,  which  brings  sweet  peace. 

16^A.  Went  to  my  dear  friend  Isaac  Parry's,  where  I  have 
been  in  the  practice  of  visiting  for  nearly  thirty  years,  and 
now  that  we  have  become  connected,  by  the  union  of  his 
youngest  son  with  my  youngest  daughter,  my  visits  are  of  course 
peculiarly  pleasant.  But  Isaac  and  myself  are  growing  old, 
and  feel  at  times  discouraged  about  the  unsettled  state  of 
Society,  ready  to  exclaim  in  the  mournful  language  of  the  pro- 
phet, "By  whom  shall  Jacob  arise,  for  he  is  small?" 

Vitli.  Diligent  in  business,  and  if  I  had  been  as  fervent  in 
spii'it,  serving  the  Lord,  it  would  have  been  a  good  day  with 
me;  Wt  I  certainly  feel  deficient  in  heartfelt  dedication  to  the 
great  cause  of  my  heavenly  Father,  and  a  sense  of  this  defi- 


179 

ciency  hangs  as  a  dark  curtain  or  cloud  over  my  path  through 
life,  and  if  my  poor  soul  is  saved,  it  must  be  by  mercy,  ^'infi- 
nite, adorable  mercy,''  not  by  merit. 

ISth.  Our  midweek  meeting,  a  laborious  travel  of  spirit, 
crowned  with  peace,  for  I  did  not  give  way  to  the  current  of 
drowsiness,  but  breasted  it  with  all  my  might,  but  was  sorry 
to  see  so  many  goodly  Friends  carried  along  with  the  down- 
ward stream,  having  always  understood  that  it  is  sick  and  dead 
fish  that  swim  with  the  current.  There  was  a  circumstance 
occurred  at  our  meeting  to-day,  which,  if  I  am  not  mis- 
informed, is  worthy  of  recording.  J.  J.,  who  lives  at  Addis- 
ville,  four  miles  from  this,  has  been  brought  up  a  Presbyterian, 
though  latterly  dissatisfied  with  them,  and  partially  convinced 
of  Friends'  principles,  but  discouraged  by  his  family.  This 
morning  he  says  he  felt  it  right  to  go  to  Quaker  meeting,  but 
being  unwell,  and  having  no  way  but  to  walk,  he  felt  discour- 
aged ;  but  he  thought  he  heard  a  secret  voice  like  this,  "  Pre- 
sent thy  body,  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  thy  reasonable  duty."  With  this  impression  became 
to  meeting,  in  the  course  of  which  our  dear  E.  S.  was  led  to 
speak  from  the  same  text  most  feelingly  and  practically,  which 
appears  to  have  made  a  deep  impression  upon  J.  J.'s  mind. 
But  what  it  will  come  to  I  know  not,  for  many  are  called  but 
few  are  chosen,  and  I  fear  that  J.  J.  is  too  much  like  myself, 
he  talks  too  much. 

19th.  Neither  sick  enough  to  lay  by,  nor  well  enough  to 
work,  and  of  course  spent  rather  an  unpleasant  and  unprofita- 
ble day. 

20th.  Went  to  White  Marsh  to  pay  a  social  visit  to  my  dear 
sister,  Susan  W.  Phipps,  and  her  husband  and  children;  one  of 
the  most  heavenly  visits  of  the  kind  I  ever  paid.  I  say 
heavenly,  for  I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  feeling  more  Chris- 
tian tenderness  and  love  than  I  did  towards  my  dear  sister's 
interesting  family  of  children. 

21st.  Attended  their  meeting  at  Plymouth ;  went,  I  hope, 
in  that  state  of  mind  that  our  Saviour  pronounced  blessed, 
when  he  said,  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven.'^  The  silent  part  of  the  meeting  was  a 
precious  exercise  to  my  poor  soul ;  but  my  preaching  I  must 
leave  to  others  to  judge  of,  for  if  I  was  qualified  to  preach 
Christ  and  him  crucified,  in  my  humiliation  my  judgment  was 
taken  away. 


180 

22d.  Returned  homej  and  on  my  wajj  attended  the  funeral 
of  Sarah  Wood,  daughter  of  Seth  Davis,  an  elder.  She  had 
scarcely  been  married  three  years.  I  remember  attending  her 
wedding :  it  was  one  of  the  most  Christian  weddings,  and  the 
meeting  was  peculiarly  solemn  and  affecting.  Her  husband, 
John  Wood,  was  the  son  of  our  worthy  friend,  Joseph  Wood, 
an  elder,  all  members  of  Horsham  Monthly  Meeting.  The 
dear  young  friends  had  just  got  nicely  settled,  and  John  had 
gone  to  market,  when  dear  Sarah  was  taken  with  the  cramp 
cholic,  and  died  in  about  an  hour,  leaving  a  child  fifteen  or 
sixteen  months  old.  The  circumstances  of  her  marriage  and 
settlement,  were  so  much  like  my  dear  S.  P.,  that  it  called 
into  action  all  my  tenderest  feelings,  awakening  the  deepest 
sympathy  for  her  poor  afflicted  father,  who  appears  to  be  now 
trembling  on  the  brink  of  the  grave.  I  could  only  pour  forth 
my  tears  and  prayers  in  silence,  fearing  the  "  cloven  tongue  as 
of  fire,''  had  been  already  sounding  its  bell  unavailingly 
amongst  them. 

23>'<:Z.  This  day  has  been  so  cold  that  I  could  scarcelywork  in 
my  shop.  In  the  evening  was  favored  with  a  solemn  exercise 
in  spiritual  prayer,  not  only  for  myself  and  family,  the  afflict- 
ed and  suffering  seed,  but  for  the  religious  Society  of  Friends, 
who  like  Joseph,  may  be  still  alive,  but  a  prisoner  in  Egypt, 
under  a  charge  of  having  attempted  to  commit  adultery  with 
the  world,  and  the  mantle  or  garment  that  they  once  wore  is 
produced  in  evidence  against  them,  while  the  priests,  the  Or- 
thodox, and  political  abolitionsts,  like  Pharoah's  G-eneral,  de- 
ceived by  a  wicked  world,  are  sustaining  the  prosecution,  or 
more  properly  speaking  are  the  persecutors.  Oh!  that  the  religious 
Society  of  Friends  could  keep  in  the  everlasting  patience,  like 
meek  innocent  Joseph,  witnessing  the  salvation  of  the  Lord  in 
bringing  them  out  of  prison,  and  making  them  as  saviours  on 
Mount  Zion. 

2-\itlL.  Was  spent  in  attending  to  my  business,  and  domestic 
concerns,  and  was  favored  in  the  evening  with  a  sweet,  tender 
spirit  of  prayer,  which  extended  to  the  sick,  sorrowful,  and  af- 
flicted throughout  the  world  of  mankind,  for  which  blessed  fa- 
vor  ray  soul  was  filled  with  thanksgiving  and  praise. 

Q,bt}i.  Our  meeting  day  to-day.  I  had  a  good  meeting,  and 
was  favored  to  keep  silent.  S.  T.,  from  Baltimore  was  with  us 
and  spoke  I  believe  to   general    satisfaction,  and  our  friend  J. 


181 

M.  S.  had  a  few  words  of  Gospel  for  us.  In  the  afternoon  took 
S.  T.  and  his  wife  to  Warminster,  and  on  my  return  found  a 
poor  old  fellow  soldier,  sitting  by  the  road-side,  just  from  the 
Alms-house ;  took  him  into  the  carriage  and  brought  him  to 
Newtown  where  he  was  trying  to  come.  I  felt  glad  that  I 
could  help  this  poor  brother,  who  was  once  an  honorable  and 
useful  carpenter  in  easy  circumstances,  and  a  far  more  useful 
and  valuable  citizen  than  ever  I  have  been,  but  now  separated 
from  his  wife  and  eleven  children,  is  an  oflPcast  from  society, 
dragging  out  the  feeble  remains  of  a  miserable  life,  upon  the 
cold  hard-hearted  charity  of  a  county  poor  house.  I  was 
thankful  to  be  favored  with  Christian  sympathy,  and  a  fervent 
prayer  for^him  to  the  Saviour  of  sinners,  to  whose  mercy  I  could 
only  commend  him  with  my  own  poor  soul. 

'IQth.  Diligent  in  business  if  not  fervent  in  spirit,  fulfilling 
part  of  the  duty  of  a  Christian,  which  is  bettei*  than  to  be  en- 
tirely idle.  Heard  towards  evening  of  the  death  of  our  cousin, 
Andrew  Ashton,  a  man  of  peace  and  Christian  propriety.  Oh! 
the  love  and  sweetness  I  feel  for  him.  Happy  \yould  it  be  for 
the  Christian  world,  if  there  were  more  like  him.  If  it  were 
not  so  far,  and  I  so  feeble,  I  would  attend  his  funeral.  I  think 
he  was  an  abolitionist  of  the  right  kind ;  and  while  I  am  writing 
it  occurs  to  me  to  give  a  short  account  of  another  abolitionist 
of  the  right  kind,  my  namesake,  Edward  Hicks,  of  Chester 
County,  who  has  been  dead  nearly  thirty  years,  and  although 
like  Cowper's  Cottager,  he  was  hardly  known  "  a  half  a  mile 
from  home,"  he  gave  a  more  practical  demonstration  of  his 
love  of  justice  and  mercy,  than  even  the  celebrated  Elias  Hicks. 
If  I  am  not  mistaken  in  my  impression,  he  was  the  son  of 
Charles  Hicks,  of  Bucks  County.  His  mother  was  a  Kimble, 
whose  father  died  in  England,  and  left  her  some  estate,  part  of 
which  was  slaves  in  the  West  Indies.  She  sold  all  but  one, 
the  young  widow  of  an  African  king,  who  died  soon  after  they 
were  married.  This  woman  she  brought  with  her  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  while  at  sea  she  was  delivered  of  a  son,  which  the 
mistress  called  County  Cornwall,  after  the  place  she  came 
from  in  England.  This  was  that  remarkable  colored  man  known 
by  the  name  of  Corn,  so  well  remembered  in  Wrightstown, 
Newtown,  and  Middletowu.  After  the  death  of  Charles 
Hicks,  Edward's  father,  Corn  was  sold  among  other  slaves, 
and  the   money  for  which  he  was  sold  came  tyi  Edward,  who 

16 


182 

being  a  minor,  was  placed  as  an  apprentice  to  a  cooper  in  Dela- 
ware County.  After  he  was  free,  he  became  convinced  of 
Friends'  principles,  and  although  not  a  member  at  that  time, 
he  felt  uneasy  at  having  in  his  possession  money  that  was  the 
proceeds  of  the  sale  of  a  slave.  This  uneasiness  continuing, 
Edward  came  up  into  Bucks  County,  seeking  for  the  slave,  who 
was  found  with  a  Presbyterian,  that  set  a  very  high  value  on 
him  ;  and  if  superior  dignity  of  character  is  any  proof  of  a  de- 
scent from  the  royal  line  of  Africa,  he  certainly  had  a  valid 
claim,  and  well  deserved  the  money  that  was  paid  to  him  in 
gold  and  silver,  with  its  interest  in  full,  by  the  hands  of  Edward 
Hicks.  This  remarkable  act  of  justice  produced  considerable  ex- 
citement among  Friends  of  AYrightstown,  who  were  then  consist- 
ent abolitionists,  and  the  sum  so  nubly  paid  not  being  enough  to 
meet  the  demand  of  the  Presbyterian,  Friends  of  Wrightstown 
nobly  came  forward  and  paid  the  residue  of  the  demand,  and 
set  the  colored  man  free ;  who  abundantly  proved  that  he  was 
worthy  of  the  favor,  through  a  long  life,  distinguished  not  only 
by  superior  dignity  of  character,  combined  with  the  steady  con- 
sistency of  the  Quaker ;  but  such  scrupulous  attention  to  the 
great  principles  of  honesty,  that  his  acts  and  sayings  were  never 
called  in  question.  Such  was  the  colored  man  long  known  by 
tho  name  of  Corn,  the  grist  grinder  in  the  mill  of  John  Hulme 
&  Sons,  in  Hulmeville,  alias  Milford,  Middletown  township, 
Bucks  County,  Pa.  Having  recorded  the  evidence  of  my  name- 
sake's distinguished  reverence  for  the  great  attribute  of  justice, 
I  think  myself  happy  in  being  able,  if  I  am  not  mistaken  in  my 
information  and  impression,  to  record  a  still  greater  evidence  of 
his  peculiar  love  for  the  pre-eminent  attribute  of  mercy,  with 
which  he  closed  a  long  and  virtuous  life.  E.  H.  from  travel- 
ling so  long  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  strictly  observing 
such  remai-kable  frugality  as  to  become  honestly  possessed  of  a 
large  estate  for  a  farmer,  and  being  now  a  member  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends,  he  felt  bound  to  take  the  advice  of  their  ex- 
cellent discipline,  and  make  his  will  and  settle  his  earthly  con- 
cerns while  in  health  ;  and  being  near  fourscore,  and  blessed 
with  sound  mind  and  memory,  he  made  his  will  and  appor- 
tioned his  property  to  his  wife  and  children,  showing  them 
what  he  had  done,  and  having  the  unspeakable  satisfaction  to 
know  they  were  all  satisfied.  He  then  felt  a  concern  to  go 
over  all  his  bonds,  noteSj  and  book  accounts  that  were  standing 


183 

against  his  friends  and  neighbors ;  and  every  bond  and  note 
against  persons  in  straitened  circumstances^  or  more  especially 
if  they  were  poor,  he  burnt,  because  he  feared  the  collecting  of 
such  debts  by  his  executors  would  cause  suffering  and  sorrow ; 
and  all  such  book  accounts  he  settled  himself  by  balancing  the 
book,  thus  offering  a  sweet  smelling  sacrifice  of  thousands,  to 
the  darling  attribute  of  mercy  and  goodness.  After  perform- 
ing this  truly  Christian  act  he  expressed  the  great  peace  he  felt 
in  doing  what  he  thought  was  his  duty,  and  in  a  few  hours  af- 
ter died  suddenly,  but  in  peace  with  G-od  and  man.  Dear  old 
Friends,  you  that  are  able  go  and  do  likewise. 

27^/i.  Spent  pretty  much  in  writing,  which  I  am  afraid  will 
be  of  but  little  use :  for  should  it  ever  be  published,  no  body 
will  think  it  worth  reading,  except  some  few  of  my  friends  who 
may  be  left. 

28^/i.  First  day — dull,  rainy  weather — a  sleepy  time  at 
meeting  with  many  :  but  a  good  silent  meeting  for  me,  for  I 
realized  the  truth  of  the  Saviour's  promise,  '^seek  and  ye  shall 
find,  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened."  How  can  Friends  expect 
to  have  good  meetings,  if  they  will  not  observe  or  attend  to  the 
conditions  contained  in  the  text  ? 

29^7i.  Steadily  employed  in  the  line  of  my  business,  feeling 
it  my  duty  to  do  what  I  can  for  my  family,  while  I  am  able  to 
work ;  when  the  time  comes  which  must  be  near  at  hand,  that 
I  can  no  longer  use  these  hands  to  minister  to  my  own  neces- 
sities, and  them  that  are  with  me,  my  dear  children  must  take 
care  of  me. 

SOth.  Feeble  in  body  and  mind.  I  have  but  little  to  say, 
only  I  thought  I  felt  something  like  the  angel  of  God's  holy 
presence,  touching  my  soul  about  the  time  of  the  evening  ob- 
lation, producing  fervent  prayer  and  living  aspirations,  which  I 
hope  was  an  acceptable  sacrifice. 

7th  month    Isf.  As  I  am  with  great  propriety  classed  among 
the  poor  working  men,  I  am  thankful  I  have  been  trying  to  do 
my  duty  in  great  weakness  both  of  body  and  mind,  under  which, 
in  the  evening,  felt  peculiarly  solemn,  feeling  that  the  time  of 
my  departure  from  this  world  is  nigh  at  hand. 
"When  rising  fronci  the  bed  of  death, 
O'er  whelmed  with  guilt  and  fear, 
I  see  my  Saviour  face  to  face, 
Oh  !  how  shall  I  appear  ?" 


184 

A  discouraging  time  for  the  poor  farmers;  so  wet  and  warm, 
that  they  cannot  get  their  hay  and  wheat  secured. 

Id,  Sd,  4:fh.  Wishing  to  avoid  sameness  and  repetition,  I 
have  but  little  to  say,  but  that  seriousness  and  solemnity  have 
been  increased  by  hearing  of  the  death  of  four  of  my  old  friends: 
Joseph  Price,  Hannah  L.  Smith,  Mary  Hulme,  and  Mary  Sto- 
ry.    They  were  Orthodox  Friends. 

6fh.  First  day,  went  to  pee  my  children  at  Horsham  ;  called 
on  my  way  at  Warminster  Meeting.  The  silent  part  of  it  was 
a  strength  and  encouragment  to  my  exercised  soul,  for  it  was  to 
me  a  precious  prayer  meeting :  but  I  am  afraid  my  telling  the 
people  my  experience,  might  have  done  more  hurt  than  good. 

QtJi.  A  day  of  great  favor  as  to  the  outward  ;  but  yesterday 
the  farmers  were  quite  discouraged ;  some  wheat  fields  nearly 
destroyed  by  the  fly,  others  so  beat  down  by  the  wind  and  rain 
as  to  make  it  difficult  gathering;  others  growing  in  the  swarth  ; 
abundance  of  hay  spoiling  in  the  field,  with  wet  weather;  to-day 
the  sun  shines  and  the  farmers  are  encouraged  to  exert  them- 
selves. We  were  favored  to  secure  enough  for  bread,  which  is 
certainly  cause  for  than^kfulness,  and  the  weather  continuing  to 
look  favorable,  hope  increases.  Thus  our  being  in  this  world 
depends  upon  the  blessing  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  Without 
his  sun,  which  he  causes  to  rise  upon  the  just  and  upon  the 
unjust,  and  vvithout  his  rain,  which  he  sendeth  upon  the  good 
and  upon  the  evil,  how  soon  should  we  cease  to  exist. 

7th.  This  day,  forty-four  years  ago,  I  well  remember  making 
a  record  like  this,  ^' Where  shall  1  be,  and  what  shall  I  be,  in 
forty  years  from  this  time?"  I  think  my  mind  was  under  a 
solemn  impression,  and  I  prayed  for  preservation.  Oh  !  thou 
covenant  keeping  God,  thou  heardst  my  feeble  cry,  for  thou 
hast  granted  my  request,  and  blessed  me,  unworthy  wretch  as  I 
am,  and  oh!  where  shall  The,  and  what  shall  I  be,  in  the  half 
of  forty  years  to  come  ?  Shall!  be  permitted  to  enter  fh?/  city 
whose  walls  are  salvation,  and  whose  gates  are  eternal  praise  ? 
This  day  has  been  peculiarly  favorable  to  tlie  farmers  for  get- 
ting in  their  grain  and  hay.  Oh  !  that  their  hearts  may  be 
tender  and  contrite  before  the  Lord,  in  thanksgiving  and  praise. 

Sth.  Another  remarkably  fine  day  for  harvesting  and  getting 
in  the  hay — the  most  pleasant  summer  weather.  The  farmer 
ought  to  rejoice,  and,  indeed,  every  Christian  in  the  United 
States  should  rejoice  ever  more,  and  in  evcrj^  thing  give  thanks 


185 

for  the  many  blessings  tliey  enjoy.  They  ought  to  rejoice 
with  thankful  hearts,  and  bear  their  testimony  against  that 
wicked,  grumbling,  growling,  fault-finding  spirit,  that  would 
destroy  the  religious  and  civil  institutions  of  our  beloved 
country,  turn  our  liberty  into  licentiousness,  and  introduce 
universal  anarchy  and  confusion  into  both  Church  and  State. 

9^/i.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  at  Makefield;  and  as  our  chatter- 
ing reformers  were  both  absent,  we  had  a  good  little  Monthly 
Meeting.  One  of  our  young  members  who  had  been  persuaded 
by  the  Presbyterian  priest,  and  one  of  his  silly  women,  with 
whom  the  young  Friend  was  hired,  to  join  their  meeting,  came 
forward  to-day  with  a  voluntary  acknowledgment  and  con- 
demnation of  his  conduct,  which  was  accepted.  It  is  a  cause 
of  encouragement  that,  notwithstanding  our  unsettled  state, 
and  the  scattering  of  our  youth,  the  priests  and  their  silly 
women  cannot  get  and  hold  them.  We  had  some  speaking 
from  a  stranger,  and  some  solid  Grospel  truths  from  J.  M.  S., 
and  two  of  our  female  ministers. 

10/7?.  An  exceedingly  warm  day,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  I  could  make  out  to  work,  though  I  did  make  a  good  day 
of  it,  for  a  poor  feeble  old  man.  Had  the  coniiDany  of  a  friend 
in  the  afternoon,  that  I  was  rather  glad  of,  for  I  had  feared 
that  I  had  offended  him  when  at  the  funeral  of  his  father. 

lltJi.  Another  exceedingly  warm  day,  which  has  an  en- 
feebling effect  upon  my  poor  worn  out  constitution.  Notwith- 
standing, I  did  mj  day's  work,  as  to  the  outward,  but  the  inner 
man  of  the  heart  I  fear  has  been  too  shackling  and  idle. 

12tk.  First  day,  very  warm  weather.  The  professed  wor- 
shippers of  an  infinitely  perfect  spiritual  Being,  that  had  col- 
lected at  our  meeting  house,  appeared  to  me  too  careless,  idle, 
and  indolent,  which  made  hard  work  to  keep  to  the  life.  I 
was  led,  I  thought  rightly,  to  speak  of  the  great  loss  we  sus- 
tained by  sitting  in  a  lounging  posture  or  position,  which 
nursed  the  weakness  of  our  common  nature,  and  rendered  our 
meeting  for  worship  a  poor,  lifeless  thing.  Whereas,  if  we 
were  concerned  to  obey  the  commandment  our  Saviour  gives 
to  his  disciples,  ^^  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  straight  gate;  for  I 
say  unto  you,  many  shall  seek  to  enter  and  shall  not  be  able ; 
for  straight  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  that  leads  to 
life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it :  because  wide  is  the  gate 
and  broad  is  the  way,  that  leads  to  death  or  destruction,  and 

16* 


186 

many  tliere  are  that  go  in  tliereat," — I  say  I  tried  to  encourage 
Friends  that  if  we  would  be  obedient  to  this  commandment, 
and  strive  to  enter  into  life,  or  a  living  exercise,  sitting  vj^- 
right,  with  the  loins  of  our  minds  girded  up,  we  could  not  fail 
coming  at  the  life,  and  having  a  profitable  meeting.  But  oh  ! 
the  dreadful  consequences  of  spiritual  idleness ',  it  is  as  much 
greater  than  bodily  idleness,  as  the  soul  is  greater  than  the 
body.  But  all  I  said  seemed  to  me  to  pass  as  the  idle  wind, 
and  after  I  sat  down,  a  few  words  from  my  younger  brother, 
J.  jM.  S.,  had  more  Gospel  in  them  than  all  that  I  said. 

13^/t.  Feeble  as  I  was,  I  did  a  pretty  good  day's  work.  I 
haye  thought  it  right  to  exert  myself  to  get  ready  to  attend  the 
Quarterly  Meetings  in  the  western  part  of  our  Yearly  Meeting, 
which  commence  on  the  20th.  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  go  in 
my  own  wagon,  and  be  as  little  trouble  and  hindrance  to  Friends 
as  I  can,  although  my  age  and  infirmity  would  justify  my  having 
company. 

14^/i.  Astonishing  change  in  the  weather,  from  excessive 
heat  to  a  cool  fall  air.  I  feel  these  changes  very  sensibly,  and 
feel  it  hard  to  keep  at  work ;  and  i;ny  weakness  of  body  predis- 
poses to  discouragement  about  the  state  of  our  religious  Society. 
A  lovely  young  Friend  in  our  town,  though  not  a  member  of 
our  Monthly  Meeting,  has  lately  married  an  Episcopalian,  the 
daughter  of  an  Orthodox  ^f'riend,  and  almost  of  course  has  left 
us.  This  circumstance  has  revived  a  sorrowful  feeling  I  have 
had  for  years,  of  the  sad  loss  that  children  sustain  for  the  want 
of  religious  education.  The  father  of  this  young  man,  who  is 
in  the  station  of  an  elder,  appears  to  have  spared  no  pains  and 
expense  to  give  him  scholastic  education ;  but  I  fear  has  left 
his  soul  too  much  as  the  ostrich  leaveth  her  eggs,  caring  not 
if  the  foot  of  the  passenger  crush  them.  But  how  can  it  be 
otherwise?  if  the  fathers  have  eaten  sour'grapes  the  children's 
teeth  must  be  set  on  edge-^— or,  to  speak  more  plainly,  if  pa- 
rents have  no  heartfelt  belief  in  an  after  state,  or  in  the  awful 
doctrine  of  rewards  aud  punishments,  how  can  they  impress  it 
on  the  minds  of  their  children?  If  parents  have  never  entered 
the  inner  court  of  the  temple,  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  only 
door,  how  can  they  feel  a  right'  concern  that  their  children 
may  enter  by  the  same  door?  No  marvel,  then,  that  such 
sadly  neglected  children  of  Friends  should  leave  Christ,  the 
only  door  into  the  true  sheepfold,  and  be  found  climbing  up 


187 

some  otiier  way,  after  tlie  mercenary  hireling  ministers,  spend- 
ing their  precious  time  in  jDursuit  of  ^'bubbles,  deviled  o'er  by 
sense,"  those  rattles  and  conceits  of  trifling  cast,  which  can 
only  drag  their  patient  through  the  tedious  length  of  a  short 
winter's  day. 

"  Say,  sages,  say,  ' 
Wit?,  oracles — say,  ye  dreamers  of  gay  dreams, 
How  can  you  weather  an  eternal  night. 
When  such  expedients  fail  ?" 

I  make  not  these  remarks  as  only  applicable  to  the  above 
case,  for  alas  I  I  fear  it  will  be  found  they  will  bear  too  general 
an  application,  if  we  judge  the  professors  of  Christianity  by 
the  standard  or  rule  proposed  by  the  Divine  Saviour:  '^By 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

V^tli.  A  remarkably  cold  day  for  mid-summer.  Paid  an 
agreeable  visit  in  company  with  my  wife,  to  an  old  friend,  a 
widow,  who  appears,  like  myself,  to  be  going  fast  to  her  long 
home. 

\Wi.  Our  midweek  meeting  to-day  j  rather  a  laborious  time, 
but  upon  the  whole  a  peaceable  and  profitable  meeting.  Went 
in  the  afternoon  with  my  wife  to  see  a  dear  sick  friend,  which 
was  to  me  peculiarly  satisfactory.  But  my  mind  is  made  sor- 
rowful by  what  I  saw  this  morning,  at  the  hotel,  in  our  town ; 
the  son  of  a  dear  deceased  friend,  whose  remains  I  sorrowfully 
followed  to  the  grave,  a  year  ago,  now  tending  bar,  while  his 
widowed  mother,  with  the  care  of  his  own  little  motherless 
children,  is  left  alone  on  a  little  farm  near  Bristol.  How  sor- 
rowfully affecting  to  see  so  many  young  Friends  ruined  by 
keeping  bad  company.  Oh  I  that  I  could  warn  them  of  the 
dangerous  consequences  that  attend  the  frequenting  of  taverns 
and  places  of  diversion ;  but  worst  of  all,  and  most  to  be  de- 
plored as  human  nature's  broadest,  foulest  blot,  houses  of  ill 
fame — sinks  of  pollution,  degradation,  and  gambling  tables. 

Vitli.  In  company  with  my  old  friend  Joseph  Briggs,  who 
has  sat  by  me  in  the  station  of  an  elder  for  nearly  thirty  years, 
I  left  home  after  dinner,  to  attend  the  western  quarters )  lodged 
at  my  brother  and  sister  Phipps',  at  Whitemarsh. 

\Wi.  Went  to  Newtown  Square,  in  Delaware  County,  to  the 
house  of  our  friend  S.  C,  who  had  notice  spread  of  our  being 
at  their  meeting  in  the  morning,  and  at  Willistown  in  the 
afternoon. 

V^tli,  First  day,  attended  said  meetings.     A  very  large  com- 


188 

pany  of  tender,  goodly  people  got  together,  wliom  the  Lord 
blessed  with  his  living  presence;  and  we  had  a  good  meeting. 
In  the  afternoon,  Joseph  Foulk  had  some  service,  and  we  had 
the  company  of  John  Hunt,  of  Darby,  and  John  Townsend,  of 
Philadelphia;  and  though  they  were  silent,  I  thought  they 
were  a  great  help  to  the-  meeting.  John  Hunt  is  the  third  son 
of  that  venerable  mother  in  our  Israel,  Rachel  Hunt,  of  Darby, 
a  dignified  minister  of  the  Gosj)el,  so  well  known  and  so  uni- 
versally beloved  and  respected,  that  her  character  stands  above 
any  eulogy  of  mine.  John  has  been  one  of  those  noble,  jolly, 
generous  men  of  the  world,  who  take  the  tour  of  Europe,  visit- 
ing taverns,  fashionable  watering  places,  and  places  of  diver- 
sion, travelling  with  rapidity, 

"to  fly  that  tyrant  Thought, 
To  lash  the  lingering  moments  into  speed, 
And  whirl  us  (happy  riddance)  from  ourselves." 
Dear  John  Hunt  saw  before  it  was  too  late,  the  awful  gulf, 
and,  like  the  penitent  prodigal,  returned  to  his  father's  house, 
giving,  I  hope  I  may  say,  incontrovertible  evidence  that  he 
has  been  clothed  with  the  best  robe,  and  his  feet  shod  with  a 
right  preparation  of  the  Gospel  of  peace,  while  his  friends,  and 
the  friends  of  Christ,  participate  in  that  heavenly  joy  over  one 
sinner  that  repenteth.  Oh  !  that  the  Shepherd  of  Israel,  who 
sleeps  not  by  day,  nor  slumbers  by  night,  may  preserve  him 
from  being  overcome  by  the  temptations  of  the  Devil,  and  the 
flattery  of  silly  women — male  and  female — who  are  his  most 
powerful  agents,  and  whom  he  employs  to  "boost," — as  we, 
when  we  were  little  boys,  used  to  say,  when  we  wanted  help  in 
climbing  a  tree — poor  ministers,  when  trying  to  climb  up  after 
the  Devil,  on  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  from  which,  alas  ! 
too  many  have  been  persuaded  to  throw  themselves,  in  awful 
presumption,  to  the  disgrace  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  the 
great  discouragement  of  the  dear  visited  children.  Went,  after 
meeting  at  Willistown,  to  Jonathan  Paxson's,  a  nephew  of 
that  almost  super-excellent  Oliver  Paxson,  that  elder  worthy 
of  double  honor,  that  pillar  in  the  Lord's  house,  that  father  in 
the  church  of  Christ,  and  prince  in  our  Israel.  Jonathan's 
valuable  wife  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Phillip  Price,  an  Ortho- 
dox elder,  who,  when  he  found  his  son  Benjamin  would  go  with 
Friends,  acknowledged  that  there  were  valuable  Friends  among 
us,  but  said  we  would  be  overwhelmed  with  ranterism  :  is  not 


189 

his  prophecy  coming  true  ?  Benjamin  and  his  wife  came  to 
see  us  in  the  evening,  and  appeared  serious  and  dignified ;  but 
I  thought  I  felt  something  distant  and  reserved  in  him,  which, 
if  my  feelings  are  correct,  I  can  easily  account  for.  B.  P.  has 
become  the  principal  of  a  boarding  school,  consequently  he 
must  rank  amongst  the  learned  and  great  of  Society,  whilst  I 
have,  with  great  propriety,  taken  my  place  among  the  illiterate, 
the  ignorant,  and  simple;  and  like  Cowper's  cottager, 
"  Know  this,  if  nothing  more,  my  Bible  true, 
A  truth  the  learned  skeptic  never  knew." 

Be  that  as  it  may,  however  diversified  with  afflictions  and 
vicissitudes  the  remaining  part  of  ray  life  may  prove,  I  shall 
ever  remember  the  time  1  have  spent  with  him,  with  this  pe- 
culiar acknowledgement,  that  of  all  the  companions  in  travel 
I  have  ever  had,  take  him  in  the  whole,  I  have  never  had  the 
equal  of  dear  B.  P. 

20^A.  Second  day,  we  wont  in  company  with  Joseph  Foulk, 
John  Hunt,  and  John  Townsend,  to  London  Grove,  and  at- 
tended the  select  Quarterly  Meeting,  which  was  large ;  where 
we  met  with  John  Comly,  who,  with  John  Hunt,  had  good 
service.  I  was  favored  to  keep  silent,  and  feel  after  the  spirit 
of  prayer.  Lodged  with  Thomas  Hicks,  in  company  with 
divers  valuable  Friends. 

21st.  Attended  the  general  Quarterly  Meeting,  which  was 
very  large — a  strong,  substantial  body  of  Friends,  and  some 
very  strong  ultra  reformers.  Of  course  there  was  a  strife  of 
tongues,  which  I  was  favored  to  take  no  part  with,  but  to  re- 
main silent,  though  I  felt  a  little  like  the  Presbyterian  boy, 
who  wanted  to  go  to  a  silent  Quaker  meeting,  where  he  might 
have  time  to  think.  I  tried  to  get  to  the  place  where  prayer 
was  wont  to  be  made,  but  almost  labored  in  vain,  there  was 
such  a  continual  speaking,  reading,  and  lecturing,  for  nearly 
five  hours.  Lodged  at  Joseph  S.  Walton's,  in  company  with 
John  Comly,  on  our  way  to  Cain  Quarter. 

What  a  sorrowful  list  of  fallen  Quaker  preachers  is  pre- 
sented in  a  retrospect  of  fifty  years.  How  many  that  once 
spoke  as  it  were  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  angels,  have 
turned  out  worse  than  nothing.  Many  have  been  puffed  up 
with  spiritual  pride  and  self-righteousness,  and  have  become  a 
disgrace  to  their  friends,  and  a  burthen  to  Society.  There  must  be 
a  cause  for  this  sad  effect,  and  I  verily  believe  it  is  unbelief  or 


190 

hardness  of  heart,  selfishness,  and  pride.  And  oh  !  I  should 
have  been  added  to  this  dreadful  class,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
mercy  and  goodness  of  Grod,  through  Jesus  Christ,  my  dear 
Redeemer,  who  loved  me  and  gave  himself  for  me — he  has 
snatched  me  as  a  brand  from  the  burning,  he  has  preserved  me 
thus  far  as  a  monument  of  his  mercy,  and  oh  I  that  the  last 
sound  which  may  be  heard  from  this  tongue,  may  be  thanks- 
giving and  praise  to  the  blessed  Saviour  of  the  world.  My 
only  hope  of  being  saved  from  the  foregoing  evils,  is  the  daily 
care  of  my  Heavenly  Shepherd,  for  of  myself  I  can  do  nothing ; 
and  oh !  that  I  may  continue  to  look  to  him  oftener  than  the 
morning,  for  power  to  do  his  will,  and  finish  the  work  he  has 
given  me  to  do. 

22<i.  Some  remarks  of  my  dear  friend  J.  C,  this  morning, 
had  a  tendency  to  corroborate  some  of  my  views  touching  the 
radical  deficiency  of  the  ministry,  and  the  weak,  scattered  state 
of  Society.  He  said  it  would  be  better  not  to  publish  a  per- 
son's writings  till  three  or  four  years  after  they  were  dead,  so 
as  to  let  their  foibles  die  with  them.  I  would  seriously  ask, 
whether  it  can  exalt  the  cause  of  truth,  for  the  Society  of 
Friends  to  give  their  sanction  to  the  publication  of  the  writings 
of  such.  If  it  were  my  own  case,  I  would  say  they  had  better 
be  burned ;  for  if  ministers  can  not  live  up  to  their  own  doc- 
trine, they  had  better  quit  preaching.  ^'  Thou  that  sayest  a 
man  should  not  steal,  dost  thou  steal  f  Before  we  indulge 
such  anxiety  to  have  our  writings  published,  let  us  be  able  to 
say  to  the  people,  in  the  language  and  spirit  of  the  apostle, 
^^  Seeing  we  are  compassed  about  with  such  a  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses, let  us  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  that  so  easily 
besets  us,  looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  finisher  of  our 
faith."  Ah  !  I  fear  that  here  is  the  cause  of  all  our  deficien- 
cies :  some  of  us  do  not  believe  in  that  Jesus,  as  Paul  did — do 
not  believe  he  is  any  thing  ^^more  than  a  man,"  "a  great  re- 
former," although  not  as  great  as  a  Catholic  priest  of  Ireland; 
and  yet  we  want  to  be  called  by  his  name.  What  abominable 
hypocrisy!  my  very  soul  sickens  with  the  subject  matter  be- 
fore me,  and  I  turn  from  it  with  disgust,  rejoicing  to  behold 
on  my  right  hand  a  valuable  body  of  precious  ministering 
Friends,  who  give  a  practical  evidence  that  they  believe  in  the 
doctrine  of  the  beloved  John,  '■'■  If  we  walk  in  the  light  as  God 
is  in  the  light,  then  have  we  fellowship  one  with  another,  and 


191 

the  blood    of  Jesus    Christ,   his  son,    cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin/^ 

About  twelve  o'clock  we  left  Joseph  S.  Walton's,  in  com- 
pany with  J.  C,  J.  F.,  and  other  valuable  Friends,  to  attend 
the  select  Quarterly  Meeting  at  East  Cain,  in  the  afternoon. 
A  weak,  low  time,  only  six  members  present — G-eorge  Massy 
an  aged  and  very  respectable  elder,  seemed  very  much  tried,  if 
not  discouraged.  Went  in  the  evening  to  the  widow  Davis's, 
a  worthy  elder.  Though  feeble  with  age  and  infii-mity,  she 
reminded  me  of  the  apostle  John's  elect  lady,  with  her  chil- 
dren. She  is  the  daughter  of  William  Mode,  that  valiant  man 
in  our  Israel.  When  the  house  of  Saul  was  to  be  superceded 
by  the  house  of  David  in  the  Western  Quarterly  Meeting, 
William  Mode  stood  as  an  upright  pillar,  that  would  not 
go  out. 

23d.  Attended  the  general  Quarterly  Meeting  held  at  East 
Cain.  It  was  quite  small  in  comparison  to  the  Western  Quar- 
ter, though  it  had  one  great  advantage,  the  meeting  for  wor- 
ship was  held  nearly  one  hour  in  solemn  silence.  To  me  it 
was  a  precious  opportunity,  for  through  adorable  mercy  my 
poor  soul  was  made  fruitful  in  the  field  of  offering,  and  joyful 
in  the  house  of  prayer.  But  the  precious  silence  was  at  last 
broken  by  my  dear  brother  J.  F.,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that 
the  life  soon  left  the  meeting,  which  still  continued  its  session 
for  nearly  four  hours.  Ah  !  poor  Cain,  I  do  not  know  what 
will  become  of  thee,  when  a  few  such  men  as  Gr.  M.  and  E.  K. 
are  taken  from  the  evil  to  come.  Thou  appearest  to  me  to  be 
already  scattered,  shattered,  and  peeled  by  a  political  whirl- 
wind, bearing  upon  its  forehead  the  plausible  concerns  of  civil 
liberty  and  temperance,  while  I  fear  too  many  of  their  most 
distinguished  advocates  are  withering  away,  as  to  the  life  of 
Christianity,  under  the  influence  of  the  cold  east  winds  of  Uni- 
tarian skepticism. 

After  meeting,  returned  with  our  dear  friend  Joseph  Chan- 
dler, living  near  London  Grove. 

24:th.  Paid  a  very  pleasant  social  ^visit  to  T.  E.  and  family, 
at  New  G-arden.  He  has  a  lovely  wife  and  an  interesting 
family  of  children,  who  I  fear  have  been  hurt  by  the  vain  spirit 
of  a  fallen  world,  where  the  priests  bear  rule  by  their  means, 
and  the  deluded  people  love  to  have  it  so ;  and  wherever  these 
gentry  get  an  influence  in  Friends'  families,  they   are  almost 


192 

sure  to  leave  tlie  print  of  their  soiled  fingers.  I  love  T.  E., 
his  dear  wife  and  children^  who  treated  me,  as  usual,  with 
great  kindness.  In  the  afternoon  attended  an  appointed 
meeting  at  Unionville ;  a  beautiful,  new  house,  filled  to  over- 
flowing with  a  respectable,  sober,  tender  people.  I  felt  feeble 
in  body  and  mind,  and  secretly  prayed  to  my  Heavenly  Shep- 
herd for  help,  for  without  him  I  can  do  nothing  to  the  honor 
and  glory  of  his  cause  on  earth  ;  and  although  I  had  sitting  at 
my  right  hand,  that  valuable  female  minister,  lluth  Pile,  who 
helped  to  hold  up  my  hands,  I  fear  my  little  service  partook 
too  much  of  the  natui-e  of  the  instrument,  to  be  of  much  use 
to  the  people.  Lodged  with  Doctor  Seal,  one  of  those  sub- 
stantial men  who  are  as  sinews  to  the  state.  He  appeared  to 
have  a  lovely  wife  and  children. 

25^/i.  Paid  a  social,  I  had  almost  said  a  religious  visit  to  a 
Baptist  woman — one  of  those  valuable  women  who  are  a  blessing 
to  every  neighborhood  where  they  live.  We  had  been  school- 
mates in  our  youth.  In  the  afternoon,  visited  a  Friend's  fami- 
ly in  trouble,  for  the  head  thereof  appeared  sick  with  com- 
plexional  melancholy.  I  tried  to  encourage  him,  but  alas  !  this 
sad  disease  is  beyond  the  reach  of  a  poor  weak  disciple,  and  can 
only  be  cured  by  the  Divine  Master.  Attended  an  appointed 
meeting  at  Marlborough,  The  house  appeared  to  be  filled  with 
intelligence,  tenderness,  talent  and  self-will— a  heterogeneous 
mass,  to  whom  a  heterogeneous  discourse  was,  perhaps,  best 
suited.  It  was  ihought  by  some  Friends  to  be  a  good  meeting 
— if  so,  give  God  the  glory,  for  the  preacher  was  nothing  but 
a  poor  sinner.  After  meeting,  went  home  with  Thomas  Hicks, 
to  lodge  on  the  way  to  New  Garden. 

26^/i.  First  day,  attended  New  Garden  Meeting,  which  I  fear 
had  more  of  numbers  and  novelty,  than  seeking  souls  and 
gospel  truths.  In  the  afternoon  attended  an  appointed  meet- 
ing at  Kennet  Square.  There  were  too  many  people  by  half, 
in  attendance,  and  as  to  the  public  service,  it  appears  to 
me  such  a  mixture,  that  it  would  have  puzzled  a  chemist  to 
analyze  it.  After  meeting,  a  very  respectable  looking  man 
came  to  me,  either  in  the  capacity  of  a  messenger  of  encourage- 
ment or  an  agent  of  the  DeviJ,  and  told  me  as  to  physical 
strength  I  was  a  living  miracle,  and  the  doctrine  I  preached 
was  calculated  to  restore  harmony  and  peace;  be  that  as  it  may, 
one  consideration  afi"ords   peace,  I    tried  to  have  my   own  will 


193 

so  completely  subdued  as  to  Lave  notbing  to  do  witb  tbe  con- 
cern, and  tbere  I  am  willing  to  leave  it  and  follow  dear  lluth 
Pile  and  ber  son  to  Susannab  Way's,  near  Brandy  wine,  to 
lodge.  Tbis  widow  I  bope  was  an  Elect  L<i<l^,  baving  tbrce 
very  intelligent,  interesting  cbildren  living  witb  ber. 

21  til.  AVent  on  to  Concord  to  tbe  bouse  of  our  kind  friend 
Doctor  Marsb.  In  tbe  afternoon  attended  tbe  select  Quarterly 
Meeting,  wbicb  was  large  and  strong,  and  conducted  witb  more 
dignity  tban  I  bave  lately  been  a  witness  to — tbe  only  defi- 
ciency I  observed  was  in  us  ministers  ;  we  could  not  be  silent 
enough.  I  tried  to  get  down  to  tbe  waters  of  life,  but  found  bard 
digging  and  but  little  water,  but  it  was  sweet.  Lodged  at  tbe 
Doctor's  in  company  witb  dear  Jobn  Hunt,  Phoebe  Iladley, 
and  other  valuable  Friends.  Phcebe  is  a  precious  minister,  and 
ber  company  was,  I  thought,  a  strength  to  me. 

28^/i.  Attended  Concord  Quarterly  Meeting — a  large,  sub- 
stantial body  of  Friends,  but  I  cannot  say,  as  a  meeting,  they 
were  either  dignified  witb  immortality  or  crowned  witb  eternal 
life,  for  tbere  was  a  young  man  amongst  them  whose  right 
hand  appeared  to  me  to  be  withered.  He  was  so  paralysed  that 
be  did  not  know  it,  but  thought  he  was  strong  enough  to  stand 
forth  in  the  midst,  without  tbe  Saviour's  power  or  command  ; 
and  for  nearly  one  hour  he  tried  to  stretch  forth  bis  hand,  but 
it  appeared  to  me  still  withered,  and  I  think  will  remain 
so  until  he  complies  witb  the  terms  laid  down  by  the  great 
bead  of  tbe  church  :  "  When  thou  bringest  thy  gift  to  the  altar 
and  tbere  rememberest  that  thy  brother  bath  aught  against  tbee, 
leave  there  thy  gift — go,  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  then  come 
offer  thy  gift.''  Several  women  exercised  their  gifts  I  trust,  to 
edification  and  comfort.  I  was  favored  through  mercy  to  keep 
silent,  and  wben  dear  Jobn  Hunt  rolled  away  tbe  stone  from 
tbe  mouth  of  tbe  well  of  life,  I  could  say  in  tbe  secret  of  my 
soul,  "  Spring  up,  0  well,  and  I  will  sing  unto  tbee."  I  could 
then  weep,  as  it  it  were,  between  the  porcli  and  the  altar,  and 
offer  for  my  own  sins  a  broken  heart  and  a  contrite  spirit,  say- 
ing to  my  Father  who  seetb  in  secret,  ^'  spare  thy  people,  O 
Lord,  and  give  not  thy  heritage  to  a  reproach.^'  I  wish  it  to  be 
distinctly  understood  that  none  of  those  active,  forward  preach- 
ers, that  'I  bave  taken  the  liberty  to  find  fault  witb,  stood  in  my 
way  in  tbe  Quarterly  Meeting ;  far  from  it,  for  if  I  understand  the 
command  of  rny  Master,  it  was  to  pray    to  bim  in  secret  and 

17 


194 

suffer  in  silence,  not  to  preacli ;  but  a  superficial  ministry  dis- 
turbs the  solemnity  of  a  Quaker  meeting,  fur  Christ's  saying 
remains  an  unchangeable  truth,  "  he  that  gathcreth  not  with 
me  scattereth/^ 

In  Concord  Quarterly  Meeting  for  business,  there  was  a  case 
of  an  appeal  from  the  judgment  of  one  of  the  Monthly  Meet- 
ings, and  it  appeared  to  me  that  Friends  were  more  concerned 
to  sustain,  -what  they  would  call  '•  the  dignity  of  a  Quarterly 
Meeting,"  than  the  attribute  of  mercy  and  forgiveness,  which 
should  ever  be  the  distinguishing  badge  of  a  Christian  assem- 
bly ;  and  I  ventured  to  tell  them  of  it  in  a  few  words.  My 
cough  increasing  so  much  and  having  sat  a  long  time,  I  felt  a 
freedom  to  excuse  myself  and  leave  the  meeting,  v/alking 
slowly  back  to  the  Doctor's,  nearly  a  mile.  Doctor  Marsh  has 
a  son  at  home  with  him,  apparently  a  talented,  dignified  young 
Doctor,  who  I  fear  is  in  the  last  stage  of  a  pulmonary  con- 
sumption. I  felt  the  tenderest  sympathy  for  him  and  his  lovely 
young  wife  and  infant  child.  My  secret  fervent  prayer 
has  been    offered  to  the  Shepherd   of  Israel  on  their  account. 

Came  on  in  the  afternoon  as  far  as  Darby,  in  company  with 
Abraham  Gr.  Hunt,  the  youngest  son  of  Rachel  Hunt,  already 
alluded  to.  He  and  his  dear  wife  were  so  kind  and  pleasant, 
that  it  dispelled  the  gloom  that  might  otherwise  have  rested  on 
the  place,  (which  is  now  left  vacant,)  from  a  view  of  several 
memorials  of  a  dear  departed  mother  in  the  truth. 

2^t]i.  Left  in  the  morning  for  home.  My  friend  Joseph, 
having  some  business  in  the  city,  I  felt  more  than  a  freedom 
to  attend  Cherry  street  meeting  for  worship,  and  after  a  pain- 
ful, laborious  exercise  to  keep  above  the  overwhelming  flood  of 
sleep  and  sluggishness,  truth  arose  triumphant  over  all,  and 
furnished  me  with  a  word  of  encouragement  which  I  offered 
publicly  to  my  friends,  and  we  parted  in  peace  and  love.  I 
came  home  and  found  all  well,  for  which  I  am  thankful.  My 
old  friend  J.  B.  in  his  seventy-seventh  year  and  myself  sixty- 
seven,  were  gone  from  home  twelve  days  and  a  half,  and  I  at- 
tended thirteen  meetings,  and  he  twelve,  but  the  most  extraor- 
dinary circumstance  is,  that  we  have  sat  along-side  of  each 
other  for  more  than  thirty  years ;  he  in  the  station  of  an  elder 
and  I  in  the  station  of  a  minister. 

%{)fli.  Our  Preparative  meeting — a  very  laborious  spiritual 
exercise,   but  a  precious    triumphant  meetngi ;  wherein  I  saw 


195 

tliG  incalculable  loss  that  Friends  sustain,  especially  in  tlieir  re- 
ligious meetings,  by  giving  way  to  the  weakness  of  our  common 
nature,  sleepy  sluggishness  and  busy  thought;  carelessly  glid- 
ing down  the  tide  of  time,  though  not  '^  on  time  intent,]  and 
so  unconscieus  of  the  passing  time,  that  to  the  mercy 
of  a  moment's  left  the  vast  concerns  of  an    eternal  scene." 

Slst.  Hearing  of  the  sickness  of  my  daughter  Susan  in  New 
York,  and  not  knowing  what  day  we  may  be  sent  for,  I  gave 
out  attending  Philadelphia  and  Abington  Quarters  next  week. 
My  dear  Susan  being  sick,  leads  me  again  to  mention  her  dear 
deceased  daughter,  qu)/  siccct  UtW'  Fliahe  Ann.  Though  nearly 
five  months  have  passed  since  her  departure  to  the  eternal  world, 
there  has  not  been  a  day  in  which  I  have  not  wept  more  or  less 
for  the  loss  of  a  child  whom  I  loved,  if  possible,  better  than  my 
own  life;  while  I  have  sorrowfully  rejoiced  at  her  safe  arrival 
in  that  city  whose  walls  arc  salvation  and  whose  gates  are 
eternal  praise. 

8tV<  month  \st.  Comfortably  and  happily  at  home  with 
my  dear  wife  and  children,  in  the  enjoyment  of  peace  and 
plenty, 

"  Oh  for  a  thousaiitl  tongues  to  tell 
My  flear  Redeemer's  j.raise." 

2d.  First  day — a  triumphant  victory  over  weakness  and  a 
precious  baptising  meeting,  held  in  solemn  silence. 

Zd  and  'itli.  Spent  pretty  much  in  writing,  bringing  up  my 
diary  to  the  present  date. 

btJi.  Went  from  a  sense  of  religious  duty  to  "Wrightstown 
Monthly  Meeting,  and  sat  along-side  of  H.  W.  in  the  back 
part  of  the  meeting ;  a  Friend  who  has  stood  in  the  station 
of  a  recommended  minister  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  but  is  now 
under  dealing  for  contracting  debts  that  he  was  not  able  to  pay, 
and  then  a  making  a  partial  assignment,  and  other  misdemean- 
ors, for  which  he  made  a  full  and  a-.nplo  acknowledgement, 
which  being  brought  before  the  meeting  was  ably  discussed.  I 
certainly  tried  to  feel  tenderness  and  sympathy  for  my  poor 
friend,  but  for  some  cause,  which  I  hope  was  my  own  fault,  I 
could  neither  shed  a  tear  nor  offer  a  living  prayer.  T  certainly 
felt  that  I  had  been  as  bad,  if  not  worse  than  he,  but  I  re- 
membered that  when  in  the  street  called  Strait,  like  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  I  prayed,  and  the  good   Ananias    was    sent  to   shew 


19G 

rac  a  way  where  there  appeared  no  way ;  but  I  feared  that  my 
poor  friend  H.  AV.  had  never  fervently  prayed  in  the  depth 
of  humility  for  himself,  but  was  retaining  a  secret  hardness 
against  his  friends  whom  he  had  deceived,  and  like  had  begat 
its  like — hence  the  hardness  of  heart  and  difficulty  of  under- 
standing. I  therefore  arrived  at  this  conclusion,  that  if  H.  W. 
would  now  go  to  each  of  his  creditors,  humbled  as  it  were  in  the 
dust,  and  say  in  a  language  like  one  formerly,  "  have  patience 
with  me  and  I  will  try  to  pay  thee  all,"  I  cannot  believe  there 
is  one  of  them  so  cruel  as  to  seize  him  by  the  throat  saying, 
'•  pay  me  that  thou  owest."  With  this  conclusion  I  left  the 
Monthly  Meeting  at  Wrightstown  and  returned  home,  satisfied 
that  I  had  tried  to  do  what  I  thought  was  my  duty. 

It  very  ill  becomes  us,  professing  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
when  we  get  a  standing  among  our  friends,  and  borrow  their 
money,  or  otherwise  get  in  debt  to  them,  when  we  are  not  able 
to  pay  them,  to  add  insult  to  injury  by  trying  to  bully  them 
down  in  a  Monthly  Meeting,  by  a  party  of  pretended  Friends, 
who  perhaps  are  influenced  by  no  better  feelings  than  Ahab's 
foolish  pity.  As  for  our  creditors,  if  they  are  hard-hearted,  selfish 
usurers,  they  will  have  an  awful  account  to  settle  before  that 
Jiirhje  of  quick  and  dead,  whose  cosnmandment  to  his  people  is 
clearly  and  positively  laid  down  in  Holy  writ,  '^  Thou  shalt  no 
lend  thy  money  to  thy  poor  brother  on  usury  ;  I  say  unto  you 
do  good  and  lend  hoping  for  nothing  again,  and  your  reward 
shall  be  great  and  ye  shall  be  called  the  children  of  the  Highest." 

6  th.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  at  Newtown.  I  had  a  lively  ex- 
ercise in  silence,  though  truth  did  not  rise  in  dominion.  I 
thought  that  Friends  had  cause  to  thank  God  and  take  cour- 
age, seeing  that  the  instruments  of  disorganization  and  con- 
fusion amongst  us  were  so  very  few  and  so  very  weak  and 
insignificant. 

llh.  Passed  through  some  exercise  and  sorrow  on  account 
of  the  particularly  tried  state  of  some  of  my  friends,  especially 
two  ministers,  one  of  whom  I  have  alluded  to.  The  other  is 
a  brother  with  whose  gift  and  spirit  I  have  great  unity,  and  his 
lovely  wife  still  more,  although  she  is  not  an  acknowledged 
minister.  They  are  in  debt  for  the  property  they  hold,  so  that 
the  grub-worm  of  usury  is  eating  up  what  little  substance  they 
have,  and  I  fear  if  they  do  not  sell  their  place  soon,  they  will 
not  have  enough  left  to  i^ay  their  just  debts,  although  now  I 


197 

believe  they  arc  solvent.  I  was  certainly  once  in  a  worse  pre- 
dicament than  they  are,  but  my  tried  situation  seemed  to  ex- 
cite a  general  sympathy  in  the  Society,  and  dear  friends  came 
forward  to  relieve  me.  But  no  feelings  of  tenderness  or  bro- 
therly ■  kindness  seems  to  be  manifested  tovrards  these  dear 
Friends,  though  I  am  sure  they  are  better  than  ever  I  was,  and 
more  worthy  of  the  sympathy  of  Society — hence  I  conclude 
the  Society  of  Friends  are  retrograding  from  practical  Chris- 
tianity. 

Sfh.  Felt  an  anti-christian  spirit  to  arise  on  hearing  of  the 
bigotry  and  bitterness  of  a  JMethodist  minister,  now  living  in 
our  town,  although  upon  self  examination  found  I  was  too 
much  in  the  same  spirit,  with  greater  inconsistency  than  my 
Methodist  neighbor,  for  he  declares  in  favor  of  war,  and  is 
ready  to  carry  his  bigotry  and  bitterness  to  the  field  of  battle; 
but  I  profess  to  be  the  follower  of  the  meek,  humble  carpenter 
of  Nazareth,  who  was  an  antipode  to  all  bigotry,  bitterness, 
and  war,  and  therefore  if  I  indulge  these  wicked  spirits,  I  am 
a  hypocrite,  and  worse,  if  possible,  than  the  Methodist  minis- 
ter. Oh  I  that  I  had  more  of  that  heavenly  charity,  that  is 
not  so  easily  oifended. 

9th.  First  day,  a  pretty  large  meeting,  and  while  I  remain- 
ed silent,  it  was  a  precious  encouraging  opportunity^,  but  my 
preaching  I  fear  was  a  poor  concern — however,  I  tried  to  do 
the  best  I  could,  and  I  feel  no  condemnation. 

10^//.  Wrote  a  letter  for  the  benefit  and  on  behalf  of  a  very 
dear  friend  who  is  in  trouble  and  difiiculty  :  I  have  but  little 
hope  that  it  will  have  much  eifect.  I  am  too  little,  a  man,  and 
consequently  will  have  too  little  influence. 

lltli.  Our  dear  Isaac  returned  from  New  York  quite  un- 
well, which  is  a  cause  of  anxiety,  but  brought  the  agreeable 
intelligence  that  our  dear  Susan  is  better,  and  we  have  the  ad- 
ditional pleasure  of  a  visit  from  Caroline  Seaman,  a  grand- 
daughter of  the  venerable  Elias  Hicks. 

12th.  Went  to  Byberry  meeting.  It  appeared  small  and 
scattered  :  but  I  was  brought  under  a  lively  exercise,  and 
thought  I  saw  more  clearly  tlian  ever  the  cause  of  their  dwin- 
dling state,  the  same  disease  that  was  in  apostate  Israel.  They 
forsook  the  Loixl  Almighty,  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  and 
hewed  to  themselves  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  would  hold 
no  water,  in  consequence  of  which,  children  had  become  their 

IT* 


198 

oppressors,  and  women  ruled  over  tliem.  Paid  tlie  most  agree- 
able visit  to  my  dear  friend,  John  Coml}",  and  his  interesting 
fimiily,  I  ever  did. 

lofh.  Returned  home  and  found  my  family  well;  but  my 
dear  friend  Elizabeth  Roberts,  wife  of  David  Roberts,  one  of 
our  aged  members,  died  this  morning.  Received  a  letter  to- 
gether with  a  box  or  chest  of  tea,  (from  William  Moore,  sou 
of  my  dear  deceased  friend,  Doctor  John  Moore,  late  of  Phi- 
ladelphia,) from  China.  The  letter  was  peculiarly  acceptable, 
containing  a  sweetness  that  made  the  most  tendering  impres- 
sions. M}^  dear  cousins,  V.  and  A.  II.,  children  of  the  excellent 
E.  H.,  arrived  this  evening  from  New  York.  Their  visit  to 
me  is  more  than  acceptable;  and  had  it  been  at  any  other 
time,  the  daughter  of  dear  P.  Gr.,  who  likewise  called  with 
her  children,  would  have  been  to  me  peculiarly  pleasing:  but 
we  were  rather  unpleasantly  crowded. 

lijfli.  First  day,  attended  the  funeral  of  our  dear  friend, 
Elizabeth  Roberts,  who  was  buried  before  meeting,  and  of 
course  the  meeting  was  larger  than  common,  to  whom  I  was 
led  to  speak.  Our  much  loved  E.  S.  added  a  short  com- 
munication, which  I  did  not  distinctly  hear,  but  thought 
that  it  was  as  usual  sweet  and  savoury ;  but  some  thought  it 
unbecoming  the  occasion,  and  were  offended.  Well,  if  the  dear 
little  creature,  did  get  a  little  wrong,  even  that  may  have  its 
use,  for  some  of  us  were  rather  idolizing  her  ;  for  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God. 

11  th.  Had  the  very  agreeable  company  of  John  Comlyand 
his  two  children,  Charles  and  Sarah;  these,  in  addition  to  my  cou- 
sins Valentine  and  x\bigail  Hicks,  with  their  daughter,  made 
a  very  interesting  company,  with  whom  the  dciy  was  sj^ent 
agreeably.  Received  in  the  evening,  from  my  dear  friend 
William  Folwell,  of  New  Jersey,  a  truly  encouraging  letter, 
filled  with  brotherly  kindness. 

18^/«.  Spent  in  company  with  my  cousins  from  Long  Island 
and  New  York,  very  pleasantly  if  not  profitably.  I  certain- 
tainly  have  some  doubts  of  the  propriety  of  Friends  spending 
their  precious  time  unprofitably  in  visits  merely  for  pleasure, 
and  am  almost  ready  to  conclude  that  it  increases  weakness, 
idleness,  and  j^ride  among  us. 

Vdth.  I  was  made  sorrowful  to  day  on  hearing  that  one  of 
our  members  said  that  Franklin's  works  were  as  good  as  the 


199 

13iblc.  This  man  is  at  the  head  of  a  rising  family,  in  which, 
in  all  probability  the  Scriptures  are  never  read.  Alas  I  for 
the  cause  of  Christ,  as  professed  by  Friends.  I  feel  something 
like  a  concern  to  speak  privately  to  the  member,  but  I  have 
but  little  hope  that  he  will  hear  me,  for  all  these  fault-finders 
and  unbelievers  of  the  Scriptures,  are  self-righteous,  and  I 
fear  in  the  broad  way  to  commit  the  unpardonable  sin  by  blas- 
pheming against  the  Holy  Ghost.  Well,  let  others  do  as  they 
will,  as  for  me  and  my  house  we  will  try  to  serve  the  Lord, 
in  the  way  of  our  early  Friends,  walking  by  the  same  rule, 
and  minding  the  same  things,  for  I  am  increasingly  confirmed 
in  the  belief  that  every  departure  from  the  primitive  path, 
either  into  right  hand  or  left  hand  errors  will  end  in  darkness 
and  confusion. 

20M.  Our  meeting  day.     My  active  mind  was  too  full  of 
cogitation  about  publishing  another  extract  from  my  writings, 
and  too  much  confused  to  come  to  any  safe  conclusion.     I  cer- 
tainly think  I  am  sincere  in   singly  desiring  to  promote  the 
cause  of  my  dear  Redeemer  ;  but  while  this  cloud  of  confusion 
continues,  I   shall  be  afraid.     Was  made  sorrowful  towards 
evening  in  hearing  that  a  son  of  a  very  de£ir  Friend,  who  had 
recently  reformed   from  intemperate  habits  had  fallen  back 
again,  and   in    dark   confusion,  married  one    of  those   unfor- 
tunate females  who  too  much  abound  in  our  towns  and  cities, 
and  was  now  in  a  state  bordering  on  distraction.      Poor,  dear 
children,  how  I  feel  for  them;  I  would  go  all   the  way  to  Phi- 
ladelphia if  I  could  see  them  together  iind  persuade   them  to 
come  to  a  Saviour^ s  feet  to  wash  them  with   tears  of  repent- 
ance, and  be  clothed  in  their  right  mind.     I  have  been  led  of 
late  into  serious  thoughtfulness  and  fervent  prayer  for  those 
wretched  females  who  have  become  the  inmates  of  those  sinks 
of  pollution.     How  many  of  them  might  have  been  saved  had 
their  parents   or  friends  been  clothed  with  that  mercy  and 
goodness  which  shone  so  conspicuously  in  the  Divine  Saviour. 
When  he  saw  such  a  wretched  sinner  stand  before  him,  self-con- 
demned, self-abased,  bathed  in  tears  of  contrition  and  confusion  of 
face,  the  darling  attribute  could  only  say,  "  go,  sin  no  more.'^ 
Those  cruel  monsters  who  first  seduce  these  weak  young  wo- 
men, and  glory  in  their  shame,  are  the  unhappy  wretches  that 
cannot  escape  the  damnation  of  hell. 

21s/.  Having  been  persuaded  that  I  had  better  not  work  in 
my  shop  during  what  is  called  dog  days,  I  find  a  difficulty  and 


200 

imoasInGSS  in  being  so  mncli  of  my  time  idle,  and  must  cer- 
tainly go  to  work  after  next  week,  or  after  Quarterly  Meeting, 
if  I  am  able. 

2'2d.  Had  a  visit  from  a  jDrepossessing  young  man,  a  stran- 
ger, who  appeared  to  possess  uncommon  intelligence,  to  whom 
I  was  led  to  explain  Friend's  doctrine  and  disci|)line,  together 
with  the  cause  of  the  division  among  us. 

28(7.  First  day,  dull  and  rainy ;  a  small,  silent,  satisfactory 
meeting.  Spent  the  afterpart  of  the  day  and  evening  pretty 
much  in  reading,  especially  one  Sumner's  discourse,  shewing 
the  political  inexpediency  of  war.  He  appears  one  of  those 
strong  men  who  are  laboring  hard  for  moral  reform,  without 
Divine  assistance,  and  has  such  confidence  in  his  own  resources 
that  he  feels  no  need  of  a  Saviour. 

24ith.  Made  a  feeble  attempt  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
privately  to  one  of  my  neighbors,  who  is  in  the  habit  of  indulg- 
ing in  drinking  frolics.  Dear  creature,  I  felt  great  love  in  my 
heart  for  him,  and  tried  to  encourage  him  to  look  to  aSarwur 
to  save  him  from  sin. 

26th.  Had  considerable  company,  and  I  fear  talked  too 
much  and  too  lightly  on  serious  subjects.  Oh !  this  idle,  shack- 
ling, gabbling  spirit,  it  too  often  destroys  my  peace,  and  I  fear 
it  is  increasing  among  Friends.  But  what  can  I  say,  but 
^nike  priest,  like  people.''  I  fear  some  of  us  ministers  are 
setting  a  bad  example. 

2Qth.  Our  select  Quarterly  Meeting  at  the  Falls ;  a  dull 
rainy  day,  and  it  ajDpeared  to  me  that  a  dull,  lethargic,  scat- 
tering spirit,  seemed  to  predominate ',  under  which  my  poor 
soul  was  in  an  agony,  and  I  prayed  earnestly,  fervently,  and  I 
hope  effectually,  for  I  thought  the  guardian  angel  of  God's 
holy  i^resence  appeared  to  me,  with  healing  in  his  wings,  and 
I  had  a  precious  meeting,  for  which  my  soul  bows  in  gratitude, 
thanksgiving,  and  praise  to  him  that  sittetli  upon  the  throne, 
and  the  Lamb.  And  I  saw,  I  thought,  with  renewed  clear- 
ness, that  many  Friends  had  committed  the  two  great  evils,  which 
the  Lord's  people  of  old  committed.  They  had  forsaken ///?«, 
the  fountain  of  h'vhif/  water,  and  hewed  out  to  themselves 
cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  could  hold  no  liviny  water — 
hence  it  had  leaked  away,  little  by  little,  and  left  the  souls  of 
Friends  dry  and  barren  as  to  a  belief,  much' less  a  dependance, 
on  an  omnipresent  Saviour  —hence  too,  their  love  of  the  world, 


201 

and  the  things  of  the  world,  their  love  of  money  and  scho- 
lastic learning,  their  childish  speculations  in  Morus  Miilticaulis, 
Thompsonian  doctoring.  Phrenology  and  Animal  Magnetism. 
These  two  last  ridiculous  bu])Lles,  i  fear,  have  been  carried  to 
an  impious,  if  not  a  blasphemous,  extreme,  even  by  some 
ministers  and  elders.  Is  it  any  marvel  then  that  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends  should  have  children  for  their  oppressors 
and  women  to  rule  over  them^ 

^Itli.  Our  general  Quarterly  Jleeting;  a  very  largo  concourso 
of  Friends,  and  others.  In  the  meeting  for  worship  there  was 
silence  enough  for  me  to  get  a  little  heavenly  bread,  which  was 
nourishing  to  my  poor  soul :  but  the  public  speaking  that  I 
heard,  if  life  to  others,  was  like  death  to  me.  I  therefore  had 
to  suifer  in  silence,  to  that  degree,  that  it  was  a  great  relief  to 
me  when  meeting  ended.  I  verily  believe  there  is  a  valuable 
body  of  religious  Friends  in  Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting,  and  oh ! 
that  I  could  persuade  them  to  pray  more,  and  talk  less ;  and 
set  the  example  myself,  and  lay  down  that  life  of  selfishness  and 
activity :  for  our  active,  restless,  chattering  Friends,  appear  to 
me  to  have  so  enthusiastically  espoused  the  cause  of  the  slave 
and  the  drunkard,  as  to  be  intoxicated  themselves,  but  not 
with  wine,  and  to  reel  to  and  fro,  though  not  with  strong  drink, 
and  to  be  sowing  to  the  winds  and  reaping  the  whirlwind. 
Like  Ephraim  of  old,  they  appear  to  me  to  be  living  on  wind, 
and  strangers  are  devouring  their  strength,  and  tiiey  know  it 
not.  Notwithstanding,  upon  the  whole,  I  am  willing  to  hope 
that  truth  rather  gained  the  victory  in  our  Quarterly  Meeting, 
although  it  certainly  was  a  very  trying  time. 

28^/^.  This  day  has  been  spent  too  idly,  and  of  course  neither 
profitably  nor  peaceably. 

29^/7.  Diligent  in  business,  and  of  course  more  profitable  and 
peaceful,  leading  to  quietness  and  serenity  at  night. 

30^A.  First  day;  a  large  meeting,  in  which  1  was  favored  to 
be  silent,  and  to  me  it  was  a  good  time.  The  afternoon  was 
spent  agreeably  in  agreeable  company. 

^\st.  Went  in  company  with  my  friend  J.  M.  S.  to  Mount 
Holly,  to  attend  Burlington  Quarterly  Electing  of  ministers 
and  elders,  which  was  to  me  a  memorable  religious  opportunity  : 
feeling  myself  a  sinner,  I  begged  for  forgiveness,  and  had  an 
evidence  that  my  Heavenly  Father  was  still  graciously  disposed 
to  be  merciful  to  me. 


202 

9fh  monili  l.s^  Burlington  Quarterly  Meeting  of  Friends 
held  at  Mount  Ilolly  was  large.  Samuel  Comfort  and  his  dear 
Elizabeth  were  there,  and  I  thought  in  their  places.  J.  F.  was 
likewise  in  attendance  as  usual,  and  as  usual  had  considerable 
to  say )  but  lam  afraid  that  1  was  wicked  in  feeling  Orthodox  at 
some  of  our  troublesome  members  from  Bucks  Quarter,  particu- 
larly a  J.  M.,  who  had  been  trying  nearly  twenty  years,  to 
convince  his  friends  that  he  was  a  great  preacher,  without  giv- 
ing any  satisfactory  evidences  that  he  has  even  the  bell,  with- 
out the  pomegranate,  so  essential  for  a  gospel  minister,  and 
having  apparently  got  out  of  patience,  prudence,  and  modesty, 
because  his  friends  have  no  unity  with  \\mi,  he  pushes  himself 
into  the  upper  gallery,  and  tries  to  imitate  some  eloquent  ora- 
tor. His  companion  in  speechification,  W.  L.,  T  do  not  consider 
worthy  of  notice.  But  stop ;  would  it  not  be  as  well  for  me  to  go 
back  twenty  years,  when  some  poor,  old,  peevish,  fretful  Or- 
thodox Friends  wrote  or  were  prepared  to  write  just  such  re- 
marks about  E.  H  ?  However,  I  suffered  in  silence,  which 
appears  to  be  my  lot  in  Quarterly  Meetings  ;  and  am  more 
discouraged  about  poor  old  Bucks,  than  any  of  the  quarters. 
I  wish  it  distinctly  to  be  understood  that  my  objection  to  the 
ultra  characters  above  alluded  to,  is  that  I  think  they  are  try- 
ing to  overturn  civil  and  religious  government,  and  to  intro- 
duce the  anarchy  of  skeptical  ranterism,  and,  of  course,  are  not 
in  unity  with  their  friends  at  home. 

%l.  A  very  warm  da}^,  much  prostrated  in  body,  and  quite 
feeble  in  mind,  but  preciously  visited  about  the  time  of  the 
evening  sacrifice,  with  the  spirit  of  prayer,  thanksgiving  and 
praise,  which  enabled  me  to  close  my  eyes  in  peace. 

od.  Just  returned  from  our  Preparative  meeting.  It  ap- 
peared to  me  rather  too  lazy  a  time  with  some  of  us,  but  ray 
mind  was  silently  impressed  with  that  saying  of  the  Saviour, 
"How  hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  Heaven."  The  reason  appeared  to  me  obvious;  for  if 
a  professor  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  has  cavtlihj  rulicsov  treasiirej 
where  his  treasure  is  there  will  his  heart  be  also ;  he  is 
therefore  satisfied  with  an  earthly  kingdom,  like  those  whom 
the  wo  was  pronounced  against  for  being  at  case  in  Zion,  and 
trusting  in  the  mountains  of  Samaria.  Christ  said,  "  wo  unto 
you  that  are  rich,  for  you  have  received  your  consolation." 

4tth,  In  company   with   my   wife,  paid  a  social  visit  to  my 


203 

brother-in-law,  Thomas  Smith,  of  Wrightstown,  where  I  receiv- 
ed information  of  a  very  discouraging  character ;  first,  of  the 
inconsistent  conduct  of  a  Friend,  who  has  stood  in  the  station 
of  a  recommended  minister;  secondly,  of  two  young  men,  de- 
scendants of  the  old  Smith  family  of  Friends,  who  are  now 
learning  the  trade  of  preaching,  as  mechanically  as  learning  to 
be  lawyers,  and  with  worse  selfishness  and  pride.  I  have  been 
credibly  informed  that  Doctor  W.,  one  of  the  most  learned, 
eloquent  and  popular  hirelings  of  latter  times,  and  who  had 
once  been  an  eminent  lawyer,  some  time  before  he  died,  made 
use  of  a  language  like  this:  '^  Had  I  my  time  to  go  over  again  I 
think  I  would  continue  at  the  law,  for  I  have  found  a  better 
spirit  among  my  brethren  of  the  bar,  than  my  brethren  of  the 
pulpit."  No  doubt  a  very  truth.  Alas  I  for  the  republic  of 
America.  Alas  !  for  the  cause  of  Christ  on  earth,  if  such  dal- 
liers,  such  doll  babies,  are  to  continue  to  be  flirted  about  by 
silly  women,  exercising  a  sorrowful  and  aifecting  influence  over 
the  rising  youth.  My  soul  is  sick  when  I  behold  something 
like  a  prophetic  vision  opening  before  me,  of  the  Roman  Catlio- 
lics.  Episcopalians,  and  other  deluded  votaries  of  anti-Christ 
uniting  together,  like  the  Pharisees  and  Saducees  among  the 
wicked  and  forsaken  Jews,  to  fall  like  them  by  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  like  them  to  be  carried  away  captives ;  and  the 
New  Jerusalem  that  came  down  from  God  out  of  Heaven, 
adorned  as  a  bride  for  her  husband,  trodden  down  by  infidels 
till  the  time  of  those  infidels  be  fulfilled. 

htli.  Had  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  a  woman  in  Wrights- 
town,  to  meet  at  the  house  to-morrow  at  9  o'clock.  Very 
doubtful  whether  I  shall  be  able  to  go. 

C^A.  First  dij;  our  meeting  pretty  large,  considering  it  was 
one  of  the  warmest  days  I  ever  knew  in  this  month.  Our  friend 
Joel  Layer,  from  Plymouth,  I  thought  preached  the  gospel, 
and  I  had  something  to  say,  not  very  savory  to  myself,  and 
much  less  to  some  others.  Ah  !  I  am  a  poor  old  man,  weak  in 
body  and  feeble  in  mind,  and  I  believe  some  Friends  are  get- 
ting very  tired  of  me. 

7M,  S('/(',  and  9f/i.  Nothing  worthy  of  notice — the  weather 
very  warm— my  little  strength  almost  exhausted — while  I  fear 
my  time  has  been  spent  too  idly  for  the  last  three  days. 

X^tli.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  at  Makefield.  Before  I  went  I 
hoard  of  the  death  of  Edwin  H.   Swain,  oldest  son  of  Charles 


204 

.inJ  Sarali  Ann  Swain,  of  Indiana,  late  of  Newtown.  The  loss 
of  this  lovely  boy,  a  lad  of  about  14,  afFectcd  me  very  much; 
and  what  must  be  the  sorrow  of  the  parents  I  can  scarcely 
conceive.  The  silent  part  of  our  meeting  was  to  me  a  tender- 
ing but  strengthening  time,  for  my  poor  soul  was  favored  with 
the  spirit  of  unusually  fervent  prayer.  G.  M.  W.,  from  Salem, 
was  with  us  and  I  thought  spoke  well.  Indeed  we  had  a  good 
jMonthly  jNIeeting,  for  which  I  thank  God  and  take  courage. 

llfh  and  V2(Ju  Spent  in  my  shop  attending  to  my  business. 
Had  the  company  of  a  couple  of  young  collegians,  to  whom  I 
talked  too  freel}^  for  my  own  peace  of  mind. 

I  am  afraid  I  am  wrong  in  the  indulgence  of  unfriendly  feel- 
ings towards  one  who  has  parted  from  her  husband,  the  object  of 
her  youthful  affections,  a  poor  wretched  sinner,  because  he  used 
her  badly.  But  is  bad  usage  a  sufficient  reason  for  a  Christian 
minister  to  leave  and  forsake  a  husband  or  a  wife?  Did  infinite- 
ly worse  usage  induce  our  Heavenly  pattern  to  go  and  leave  his 
sinful  people,  the  hard-hearted  nbelieving  Jews  ?  No ;  he  laid 
down  his  life  to  save  them,  and  I  verily  believe  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  Christian  man,  and  every  Christian  woman  to  be  willing 
to  lay  down  his  or  her  life  for  a  husband  or  wife. 

ISth.  First  day.  A  large  gathering  of  people  ;  the  silent 
part  of  the  meeting  was  to  me  a  blessed  time,  wherein  my  exer- 
cised soul  was  comforted  and  encouraged  in  spiritual  prayer, 
thanksgiving  and  praise  :  but  I  thought  there  was  a  little  jostle 
by  one  of  our  goodly  Friend?,  who,  I  fear,  like  some  of  the  rest 
of  us,  thinks  quite  enough  of  himself,  undertaking  to  preach 
the  new  doctrine  that  the  right  way  to  kill  the  Devil,  was  to  love 
him  to  death.  I  confess  that  his  preaching  was  paradoxical  to 
rae,  and  as  I  do  not  believe  what  I  cannot  understand,  I  must 
leave  it.  After  I  took  my  seat  in  meeting,  I  was  requested  to 
spread  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  John  Knowles,  a  friend- 
ly man,  a  little  older  than  m3'self,  and  like  me  he  has  appear- 
ed consumptive  for  several  years.  His  case  brought  an  awful 
solemnity  over  my  mind. 

l-ifJi.  In  company  with  my  old  friend,  Joseph  Briggs,  at- 
tended the  funeral  of  John  Knowles.  He  appears  to  have 
been  generally  respected  ;  for  much  people  were  in  attendance, 
though  his  habitation  was  small.  Agreeably  to  my  divine 
Master's  commandment  I  tried  to  go  without  purse  or  scrip, 
and  felt  so  poor  in  spirit  when  I   took  my  seat  by    the  house. 


205 

that  I  could  not  get  at  one  crumb  of  heavenly  bread,  or  one 
drop  of  living  water,  but  I  soon  felt  the  necessity  of  standing 
forth  in  the  midst,  when  to  my  astonishment,  my  dry  withered 
soul  was  c^uickened  into  life,  and  to  me  it  was  a  satisfactory 
opportunity.  I  was  applied  to  by  a  tender  mother  and  her  son 
to  visit  her  husband,  now  near  his  end ;  but  I  had  to  make  the 
excuse  I  have  had  to  offer  for  some  time,  that  my  hearing  was 
so  dull  and  my  cough  so  troublesome,  I  was  no  longer  fit  to 
visit  the  sick,  and  must  try  to  visit  more  in  spirit  and  with 
Divine  assistance  pray  for  them.  Oh !  that  I  was  righ- 
teous enough  for  this  great  work,  for  we  are  told  in  holy 
writ  that  the  fervent  efi"ectual  prayer  of  the  righteous  availeth 
much. 

loth  and  IQth.  Had  another  evidence  of  the  important 
truth  that  like  will  beget  its  like.  I  took  a  sign,  which  I 
had  painted  to  a  store-keeper,  and  told  him  my  price,  but  ob- 
served that  I  was  afraid  it  was  too  much,  and  if  he  thought  so, 
I  would  make  it  less.  The  store-keeper  paid  me  cheerfully,  only 
manifesting  a  fear  that  I  had  charged  too  little.  Ah  !  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  dealing  on  Christian  principles,  there  is  such 
a  thing  as  doing  right  and  being  happy  in  this  world. 

17fh.  Our  midweek  meeting.  Dear  E.  S.  furnished  my 
mind  with  evidence  that  if  she  keeps  humble  she  will  make  a 
workman  in  the  ministry  that  need  not  be  ashiimcd.  Ah  !  there 
is  the  danger — keeping  humble — the  Lord  will  coiitinue  to 
teach  her  of  his  ways,  always  guiding  her  in  the  path  of  true 
judgment.     We  had  a  good  meeting 

iSth  and  19th.  Diligent  at  my  trade  and  business,  which 
must  be  right  for  me,  as  it  brings  peace  of  mind. 

20th.  First  day — a  large  meeting,  but  I  fear  a  bad  one  for 
poor  me,  for  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  speak,  and  really  it  was 
one  of  the  hardest  throughs  I  ever  had.  The  text  given  me  was 
a  hard  one,  and  my  exposition  of  it  was  hard,  rough  and  un- 
pleasant to  myself,  an.l  I  think  it  was  most  likely  so  to  all  that 
heard  me.  Indeed  I  have  but  one  comforting  reflection,  and 
that  is,  I  tried  to  do  my  Heavenly  Fathers  will  and  not  m,y 
own,  and  most  sincerely  prayed  that  not  one  word  should  es- 
cape my  lips  but  what  would  promote  my  dear  Eedcemer^s 
cause. 

21s^  and  2'2d.  xlttending  to  my  little  farming  business,  and 
working  in  my  shop,  where  I  got  a  little  relief  from  my  distress 

18 


•206 

of  mind  since  First  day,  by  a  Friend  telling  me  tbat  he  bad 
full  unity  with  my  testimony.  But  whether  be  was  a  messenger 
from  the  good  spirit  or  the  bad,  I  must  leave,  and  be  willing 
to  suffer  if  I  have  done  wrong-  and  if  not,  I  ought  to  be  will- 
ing to  suffer  for  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ. 

^lod  and  24^7^.  Oar  midweek  meeting  to-day,  and  a  precious 
meeting  it  was  to  me,  for  I  was  favored  to  keep  silent  and  have 
a  prayer  meeting.  My  dear  sister  in  the  gospel,  E.  S.,  I 
thought  was  led  to  preach  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down 
frcRi  heaven,  and  her  husband  spoke  a  few  words  with  weight 
and  solemnity.  But  I  am  almost  put  out  with  preaching  elders, 
and  I  am  almost  ready  to  think  that,  according  to  our  order, 
when  an  elder  so  frequently  undertakes  preaching,  he  ought  to 
withdraw  from  the  select  meeting. 

25//^.  My  dear  friends,  B.  P.  and  wife,  eamc  to  see  me,  and 
although  it  was  peculiarly  pleasing  to  have  a  visit  from  an  old 
friend  whom  I  had  so  much  loved,  I  thought  I  could  discover  a 
change  in  him ;  instead  of  that  open,  child-like  simplicity,  there 
was  a  prudent  reserve  and  caution, — a  studied  course  of  con- 
duct, after  the  traditions  of  men, — after  the  rudiments  of  the 
world,  and  not  after  Christ.  But  such  is  the  wisdom  of  schools, 
and  such  the  distinguished  advocates  for  scholastic  education. 
My  friend  spoke  of  the  improvements  making,  and  about  to 
be  made  in  the  buildings  of  West-town  boarding  school,  which 
led  my  mind  to  the  conclusion  that  such  seminaries  were  anti- 
christian,  and  would  succeed  in  the  same  way  and  spirit  that  the 
Boman  Catholic  policy  has,  and  will  prevail  ''  by  money,  all 
powerful  money,"  drawn  from  the  deluded  votaries  of  anti 
Christ  by  the  still  more  powerful  policy  of  priestcraft. 
Let  the  reader  of  these  remarks  turn  to  the  history  of  the  Catho- 
lic church  after  the  reformation,  when  their  immense  funds 
were  appropriated  to  such  seminaries  of  education,  and  see  the 
astonishing  influence  of  the  ''  Do  propaganda  fide;"  let  him  then 
behold  a  miniature  likeness  in  such  seminaries  as  West-town 
and  Haverford,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  to  be  sup- 
ported. When  Judas  sold  his  Saviour  for  money,  he  wound 
up  his  sad  career  by  throwing  the  price  of  his  everlasting  ruin 
at  the  feet  of  the  priests  in  the  temple ;  and  arc  not  rich 
Orthodox  Friends — especially  such  as  have  no  children — whose 
money  has  been  drawn  from  the  vitals  of  the  humbly  industri- 


207 

ous,  by  usury  and  rents,  too  often  mingled  with  the  tears  of 
sorrow  and  tlie  sighs  of  de?pair — pursuing  a  similar  course  by 
throwing  their  pieces  of  silver  at  the  feet  of  priestcraft  in  these 
temples  of  worldly  wisdom,  while  poor  Lazarus  can  scarcely 
get  a  crumb  from  their  tables,  experiencing  more  mercy  and 
compassion  from  the  dogs  licking  their  sores.  Liberal  dona- 
tions to  charitable  institutions  cannot  save  a  deluded  soul  from 
"  going  out  of  the  world  without  Grod,  without  hope,  without 
one  comfortable  assurance  from  the  sacred  ransom  of  a  suffering 
Saviour,"  who  emphatically  declared,  ^'  It  is  easier  for  a  camel 
to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'^  Alas  I  for  poor  me ;  my  exclusive 
attachment  to  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament,  where  lam 
informed  that  God  manifested  himself  in  the  fulness  in  the 
person  of  an  humble,  illiterate  carpenter,  who  was  rejected, 
despised  and  hated  by  the  learned  priests  and  scribes  of  that 
day,  has  completely  disqualified  me  for  swimming  with  the 
popular  current,  and  hence  [  am  looked  upon  as  a  poor,  igno- 
rant, obstinate  enemy^  to  scholastic  education. 

2'^th.  Had  a  visit  from  a  young  man  whose  father  is  said 
to  be  a  rich  Jew  in  Philadelphia,  late  of  Attleborough,  where 
he  got  sadly  oiiendGd  at  me  for  speaking  against  Friends  hav- 
ing anything  to  do  with  a  great  foolish  college  in  that  place, 
which  has  swindled  rich  Friends  out  of  some  of  their  superflu- 
ous cash,  and  stands  now  as  a  monument  of  their  folly.  The 
young  man  appeared  to  me  a  lovely,  interesting  youth.  Went 
in  the  afternoon  to  Warminster  with  my  wife  to  see  my 
children. 

21  th.  Went  to  Horsham  meeting;  it  being  First  day,  the 
meeting  was  pretty  large,  and  having  spent  the  morning  in 
reading  the  Journal  of  that  faithful  and  dedicated  servant  of 
the  Lord,  Hugh  Judge,  I  felt  myself  a  mere  child,  yea,  less 
and  worse  than  a  child,  a  fool,  a  nothing,  compared  to  such  a 
precious  Friend.  I  appeared,  therefore,  a  poor  beggar  in  the 
Divine  sight,  covered  with  sores  from  the  crown  of  my  head 
to  the  soles  of  my  feet.  Oh  how  I  did  beg  for  one  crumb  of 
heavenly  bread,  though  I  felt  myself  unworthy  the  favor,  but 
which  was  graciously  granted,  and  I  had  an  humbling,  good 
meeting,  in  solemn  silence.  My  dear  sister  in  the  truth,  Eli- 
zabeth Warner,  had  a  short  but  pertinent  communication,  and 
C.  M.,   a   young  man,  spoke   like  Ephraim,  trembling,  and  I 


208 

think  was  exalted  in  Israel.  Returned  in  peace  to  my  home 
and  found  all  well. 

2%th  and  29^7i.  Diligent  in  business,  poor  and  quiet.  Heard 
of  the  funeral  of  an  old  friend,  M.  E.,  of  Solesburj ;  felt  a  lit- 
tle unpleasant  at  not  having  an  invitation  to  his  funeral,  but 
was  instructed  in  discovering  my  enemy,  selfish  pride,  which 
was  now  wounded,  and  I  hope  will  be  slain.  It  is  quite  possi- 
ble that  his  children  may  have  some  selfish  views  in  burying 
their  father  this  afternoon,  rather  than  to-morrow  before  meet- 
iug,  for  time  saving  and  money  saving  inventions  are  becoming 
very  fashionable. 

I  have  parted  with  A.  P.  an  honest,  industrious,  smart 
young  man  near  19,  who  came  to  live  with  us  to  learn  to  be  a 
painter  and  do  the  little  farming  on  my  lot  of  twelve  acres, 
and  he  has  learnt  more  at  lettering  in  nine  months,  than  any 
boy  I  ever  had  has  learnt  in  five  years.  But  he  was  too  much 
like  myself,  he  would  speak  what  bethought,  and  was  not  suf- 
ficiently guarded  in  his  thoughts,  and  I  found  myself  too  poor 
to  pay  him  for  working  on  my  lot  and  find  him  clothes  to 
please  him, — so  we  parted  peaceably,  and  I  hope  I  have  done 
my  duty  towards  the  young  man,  for  whose  present  and  ever- 
lasting welfare  I  feel  sincerely  desirous. 

ZQth.  Steadily  at  work  in  my  shop,  having  now  to  do  all  my 
little  chores  myself.  It  may  be  best  for  me  to  exert  my  little 
strength  to  wait  upon  myself,  for  I  am  verily  a  poor^  weak  old 
man,  and  ought  not  to  be  proud. 

10/7i  month  \st.  Our  mid-week  meeting — silent.  I  toiled 
hard  and  got  little  or  nothing.  I  fear  that  I  was  not  suffi- 
ciently attentive  to  the  command  of  the  Divine  Master, 
and  therefore  did  not  cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship. 

2d  and  od.  Nothing  of  importance  has  transj.ired,  but 
being  favored  through  mercy  with  suflicient  strength,  I  have 
worked  night  and  day;  for  unless  I  am  industrious  and  frugal, 
I  shall  go  behind  hand,  which  would  be  wrong,  for  beings 
as  we  are,  created  to  glorify  God,  should  always  go  for- 
ward in  temporal  things,  as  well  as  spiritual,  for  our  souls 
were  designed  to  shine  with  new  accessions  of  glory,  and 
brighten  to  all  eternity. 

4:fh  and  ^fh.  Our  First  day  meeting  was  large,  and  the  si- 
lent part  of  it  was  j^eculiarly  refreshing  to  my  poor  soul.  A  friend, 
,  from  New  Jersey,  was  with  us,  and  his  testimony 


209 

was  strengthening  to  my  mind.  To  me  it  was  a  good  meet- 
ing. The  driest  and  warmest  fall,  thus  far,  that  I  can  recol- 
lect. 

Qth,  1th  and  ^th.  Nothing  particular  but  a  continuation 
of  very  dry,  hot  weather.  A  remarkably  healthy  fall  thus 
far. 

^th.  Our  Monthly  Meeting,  held  at  Newtown,  at  which 
were  our  dear  friends,  John  Hunt  and  Isaac  Bartram,  from 
Darby.  John  had  good  service,  and  my  daughter  Elizabeth 
and  I  went  with  the  friends  to  an  evening  meeting,  at  Make- 
field.  Ah !  I  feel  myself  a  poor  worthless  thing ;  like  the 
heath  in  the  desert,  I  know  not  when  good  cometh.  Oh  !  my 
poverty,  my  poverty,  if  I  should  die  in  this  state,  what  will 
become  of  me  !  And  really  I  feel  so  weak,  short-breath' d, 
and  miserable,  I  may  soon  die  like  my  father,  in  the  old  arm 
chair  in  the  shop. 

10^/^  Had  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  Sarah  Walton, 
wife  of  John  Walton,  near  the  Alms  House,  entirely  out  of 
the  neighborhood  of  Friends. 

Wth.  Attended  the  funeral  of  S.  W.  Had  to  go  ten  miles 
by  nine  o'clock.  Went  poor  and  destitute,  but  went  in  obe- 
dience to  what  I  thought  to  be  the  will  of  my  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther, and  had  an  opportunity  with  the  people  to  the  peace  of 
my  own  mind. 

12tli  and  l^tli.  Did  more  work  and  better  than  I  ever  did, 
in  the  same  time,  for  which  I  am  thankful  to  my  Heavenly 
Father,  for  the  ability  to  work,  and  the  poverty  that  drives 
me  to  it.  Heard  of  the  death  of  John  Miller,  Junior,  a  truly 
valuable  Friend,  who  will  be  greatly  missed. 

\^th  and  Ibth.  Our  mid  week  meeting  I  thought  was  well 
attended,  and  a  profitable  time,  though  my  mind  was  under 
some  serious  discouragement,  fearing  I  had  jealous}^,  envy  and 
malevolent  feelings  in  my  heart,  against  some  of  my  brethren 
in  the  ministry,  which  led  into  a  most  serious  and  solemn 
search  for  the  cause )  and  I  did  most  fervently  beg  of  my  bless- 
ed Saviour,  that  if  it  was  a  root  of  bitterness  from  the  enemy 
of  my  soul,  that  the  evil  spirit,  or  devil  might  be  cast  out ; 
when  it  opened,  I  thought  in  the  light  that  the  hatred  which 
I  felt  was  towards  that  vanity^  pride,  and  unhelief  in  these 
preachers,  that  I  had  discovered  in  myself,  and  had  been  and 
was  so  concerned  to  overcome,  as  a  temptation  from  the  prince 

18* 


210 

of  the  power  of  the  air,  who  rules  in  the  hearts  of  proud,  as- 
piring preachers. 

IQth  and  17th.  Our  once  benevolent  and  highly  respected 
M.  J.,  wife  of  M.  H.  J.,  of  this  borough,  has  just  passed  out 
of  time  into  eternity,  and  I  can  scarcely  forbear  expressing 
myself  in  a  lang-uage  somewhat  like  an  eminent  English  wri- 
ter, on  the  death  of  the  great  English  General,  the  founder  of 
the  British  empire  in  India  :  ^'  We  view  with  sorrow  the  wreck 
of  a  great  mind,  produced  by  a  most  direful  disease,  made 
worse  by  more  direful  remedies/'  But  I  have  a  comfortable 
hope  that  her  precious  soul  was  saved  from  sinking  in  the  tre- 
mendous gulf,  by  the  hand  of  that  merciful  Saviour,  to  whom 
she  prayed,  and  conducted  safely  into  that  city,  whose  walls 
are  salvation,  and  whose  gates  are  eternal  praise.  She  died  of 
a  complicated  dropsical  disease,  surrounded  by  her  husband 
and  children,  and  was  buried  on  First  day  morning,  the  18th 
inst.,  before  meeting.  I  went  to  the  house  with  no  expecta- 
tion, much  less  a  wish,  to  speak,  but  felt  myself  called  upon 
to  offer  a  short  exhortation,  especially  to  the  female  part  of  a 
very  large  and  respectable  audience,  and  my  dear  elder  brother 
Emm  or  Kimber,  preached  the  Gospel  with  perspicuity  and 
power  at  meeting ;  and  in  the  evening  we  had  an  interesting 
opportunity  with  the  family,  offering  a  word  of  encouragement 
and  consolation. 

22c?.  Our  midweek  meeting  was  a  comfortable  time,  but 
the  best  time  for  me  was  by  myself,  before  the  people  met.  In 
the  afternoon,  G.  H.  and  wife,  and  myself  and  wife,  attended 
the  wedding  of  M.  B.  and  E.  G.,  at  the  house  of  her  father, 
J.  G.  I  expect  it  was  an  orderly  wedding  of  the  kind,  yet  it 
appeared  to  me  a  light  concern,  but  I  suppose  its  time  saving, 
and  money  saving  qualities  will  be  quite  equivalent  to  the 
former  religious  dignity  and  weight,  and,  as  it  is  a  moniedage, 
every  thing  must  conform  to  the  sovereign  ruler,  ^'  the  love  of 
money.'' 

Ibth.  This  was  First  day.     Our  meeting  was  large  and  ap-' 
peared  to  be  under  a  lively  exercise,  in  which  our  friend  S.  S. 
spoke  a  few  words  with   dignity,  tenderness  and   solemnity. 
Such  a  meeting  is  a  nursery  for  a  true  Gospel  ministry. 

£8?/^.  Attended  our  select  Preparative  Meeting,  at  Make- 
field,  It  was  to  me  a  light,  hurrying  time,  with  little  or  no 
feeling. 


211 

l^th.  Our  midweek  meeting,  wliicli  was  a  solid,  silent  op- 
portunity. 

30/A  and  31s^.  Busily  engaged  in  my  shop,  and  in  attending 
to  my  domestic  duties. 

11^7i  month  ist.  After  attending  our  First  day  meeting,  which 
was  small,  in  consequence  of  the  rain,  I  went  in  the  afternoon 
to  my  brother,  Isaac  Parry's,  in  order  to  go  with  him  to  Phi- 
ladelphia Quarterly  Meeting. 

2d.  Attended  the  select  Quarter,  held  at  Cherry  street,  where 
I  was  rather  disappointed  and  sorry  to  see  L.  M.  and  G.  T., 
who,  I  understood,  informed  the  last  select  Yearly  Meeting 
that  they  were  now  decidedly  opposed  to  such  meetings,  and 
had  no  unity  with  them.  It  was  a  precious  meeting  to  me, 
where  I  had  the  agreeable  company  of  dear  George  F.  White, 
and  other  valuable  Friends. 

od.  Attended  the  general  Quarterly  Meeting,  which  was 
pretty  large.  Before  it  was  settled,  a  member  from  New  York 
State,  commenced  speaking  with  such  high  philosophy,  and  I 
fear,  vain  deceit,  that  I  could  not  understand  him,  and  to  me  it 
was  exceedingly  unpleasant ;  but  perhaps  it  was  prejudice  and 
party  spirit  that  made  me  think  so.  He  was  followed  by 
George  F.  White,  in  one  of  the  most  solemn  and  impressive 
Gospel  communications  I  think  I  ever  heard,  and  I  almost 
regret  that  I  am  LOt  able  to  do  justice  to  one  of  the  most  sub- 
lime and  beautiful  pictures  of  the  mercy  and  goodness  of  God, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  to  poor,  lost,  suffering  souls,  or  I  would 
try  to  record  it.  Sufiice  it  to  say,  it  appeared  to  me  to  have 
made  so  deep  an  impression  on  the  meeting,  that  all  the  elo- 
quence and  sophistry  of  L.  M.  could  not  dissipate  it,  although 
she  exerted  herself  to  the  utmost.  Whatever  may  be  the  end 
of  the  short,  but  certainly  most  luminous  career  of  G.  F.  W. 
I  know  not,  but  at  present  I  love  him  dearly,  I  hope  in  the 
fellowship  of  the  everlasting  Gospel.  I  trust  that  truth  gain- 
ed the  victory  in  Philadelphia  Quarterly  Meeting,  in  the  11th 
month,  1846,  and  I  was  encouraged.  Notwithstanding  I  heard 
some  things  which  were  really  painful,  especially  in  the  select 
meeting,  from  H.  W.  R.,  who  said  he  considered  it  very  un- 
sound to  apply  the  terms  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ 
to  the  son  of  Mary.  Oh !  how  unsound,  according  to  his 
view,  the  apostles  were. 

4:th  and  6th.  Attended  Abington  Quarter,  held  at  Horsham. 


212 

To  me,  "both  meetings  were  baptizing,  cementing,  and  encour- 
aging seasons,  for  I  was  favored  through  all  to  be  silent,  grate- 
ful, and  adore.  Abington  Quarterly  Meeting,  in  the  11th 
month,  1846,  appeared  to  me  to  be  honorable,  dignified,  and 
encouraging  to  Friends,  yet  there  was  a  discouraging  consi- 
deration haunted  my  mind,  which  was,  that  one  of  the  great 
purposes  for  which  Friends  were  raised  up  as  a  people,  ''  to 
bear  a  consistent  testimony  against  priestcraft,"  would  fail;  not- 
withstanding all  the  abuse  of  the  priests  by  such  as  H.  W.  R.,  notic- 
ed before,  who  appear  to  me  to  be  establishing  themselves  in  de- 
ism, will  amount  to  no  more  than  the  man  we  read  of  in  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles,  who  was  possessed  of  the  Devil,  but  yet  he 
could  leap  upon  the  sons  of  Sceva,  who  were  chief  of  the 
priests,  and  prevail  against  them,  and  drive  them  out  naked, 
and  wounded,  but  that  was  all  he  could  do,  for  the  Devil  kept 
possession  of  him.  Therefore,  it  appears  to  me  that  these  sons 
of  Sceva  and  chief  of  the  priests,  will  increase  as  they  did  in 
the  second  century,  in  spite  of  all  the  fuss  that  men  and  wo- 
men possessed  of  the  Devil  are  making,  for  it  remains  an  un- 
changeable, immutable  position,  that  evil  can  only  be  over- 
come by  good.  The  Devil  and  his  agents  will  always  fly  frc^m 
the  presence  of  Jesus,  and  such  consistent  believers  as  the  be- 
loved Paul,  who  was  humble  and  industrious,  and  ministered 
to  his  own  necessities,  and  them  that  were  with  him,  by  the 
labor  of  his  own  hands.  But  interlopers  and  unbelievers  the 
Devil  will  withstand  to  their  faces  with  a  language  like  this, 
'^  Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I  know,  but  who  are  ye.'^  At  the 
last  Quarterly  Meeting  I  attended,  there  was  a  lovely  woman 
who  appeared  to  speak  with  the  tongues  of  women  and  angels; 
but  in  following  her  from  her  theory  to  her  practice,  if  1  am 
not  mistaken,  she  will  be  found  living  in  ease  and  idleness,  on 
something  like  a  thousand  dollars  a  year,  drawn  from  the  poor 
renter,  or  the  poor  debtor,  by  usury,  while  she,  like  too  many 
modern  Quaker  ladies,  nurses  that  fanatical  melancholy,  that 
so  destroys  the  energies  of  her  body,  that  she  cannot  fix  her 
own  clothing,  but  must  impose  upon  more  industrious  women. 
I  am  aware  that  I  make  myself  liable  to  be  charged  with  be- 
ing an  accuser  of  the  brethren,  and  so  ungentlemanlike  as  to 
expose  the  character  of  a  sister  in  the  Gospel.  But  alas ! 
what  am  I  to  do  ?  In  my  hand  I  hold  the  New  Testament, 
which  I  have  always  accepted  as  eternal  truth.     This  informs 


213 

me  that  our  Holy  Head  ^  the  LordJesus  Christ,  v^ho  created  all 
things,  and  by  whom  all  things  consist,  took  upon  himself  the 
form  of  a  servant,  and  humbly  and  industriously  worked  at 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  for  the  support  of  his  own  outward 
body,  and  that  of  his  widowed  mother.  Being  meek  and 
lowly  of  mind,  he  taught  the  primitive  believers  the  great  and 
indispensable  doctrine  of  humble  industry,  which  they  prac- 
tised. How  then  can  I  reconcile  proud,  idle,  Christian  minis- 
ters, with  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  ?  How  can  I  help  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  practical  deficiency  among  us  min- 
isters in  coming  up  to  the  line  of  Divine  appointment  is  the 
cause  of  the  present  failure  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  in 
answering  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  intended,  and 
of  the  astonishing  increase  of  hireling  priests  in  protestant 
Christendom. 

Qth  and  7th.  Industriously  engaged  in  my  shop,  feeling 
peace  in  a  review  of  my  late  religious  visit,  and  in  securing 
the  arrangement  for  publishing  the  work  I  verily  believe  it 
was  my  religious  duty  to  give  to  the  people. 

Sth.  First  day.  Our  meeting  small,  but  comfortable  and 
edifying.     Our  dear  E.  S.  appeared  in  a  feeling  testimony. 

9th  and  lO.^A.  Spent  in  close  application  to  business,  with 
some  thought  of  trj^ing  to  get  to  Salem  Quarterly  Meeting, 
held  at  Woodbury,  but  felt  myself  released  from  making  an 
exertion,  which  might  have  been  too  much  forme,  in  my  pres- 
ent feeble  state  of  health. 

12th.  Just  returned  from  our  midweek  meeting;  the  silent 
part  of  it,  spent  in  secret  supplication,  was  relieving,  comfort- 
ing, and  strengthening  to  my  poor  soul.  M.  S.  spoke  a  few 
words  with  great  propriety  of  speech,  but  it  appeared  to  me  to 
want  life.  But  is  not  that  appearance  owing  to  my  prejudice 
against  her  ?  I  fear  that  it  is ;  for  I  have  let  in  a  notion,  and 
I  hope  only  a  notion,  that  she  is  a  very  proud,  self-righteous 
woman,  and  if  so  she  cannot  be  in  a  Christian  spirit,  and  con- 
secjuently  is  not  fit  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  But 
thou  knowest,  blessed  Saviour,  the  secrets  of  all  hearts,  and 
oh  !  if  1  am  wrong,  put  me  right. 

13^^  and  14:th.  Industriously  employed  in  my  shop. 

16th.  First  day.  Still  continues  dull  and  rainy.  Our  meet- 
ing too  large  to  be  held  in  one  end  of  the  house.  A  solid, 
serious  opportunity  to  some  of  us.  Our  dear  friend,  J.  M.  S., 
I  thought,  preached  the  Gospel  in  a  few  words. 


214 

IQfh,  17th,  and  ISth.  Too  closely  engaged  at  work  in  my 
shop,  for  the  health  of  either  body  or  mind.  Ah  !  my  poor 
zig-zag  nature  ^predisposes  me  to  extremes. 

19tli.  Our  midweek  meeting.  A  good  time  for  some  of  us, 
whom  our  modern  reformers  consider  poor,  deluded,  supersti- 
tious, ignorant  Quakers,  because  we  esteem  it  a  great  privilege 
to  meet  together  to  worship  our  Heavenly  Father  in  spirit  and 
in  truth,  waiting  for  the  blessed  appearance  of  the  c/reat  God, 
and  our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  who  gave  himself  for  us,  that 
he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  himself 
a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.  But  our  wise 
modern  reformers  consider  such  remarks  mere  nonsense,  now, 
as  mankind  have  become  too  much  enlightened  to  be  influenced 
by  such  old,  stale,  superannuated  opinions,  as  are  contained  in 
what  is  called  the  Scriptures.  Ah  !  every  sensible  feeling  of 
my  soul  responded  to  the  short,  feeling  testimony  of  truth,  de- 
livered by  my  younger  brother,  J.  M.  S.,  when  he  said  in  sub- 
stance, that  infidelity  appeared  to  be  gaining  ground,  and  that 
the  standard  of  truth  was  trodden  under  foot  with  impunity. 

20th,  21st.  Spent  in  my  shop,  and  devoted  to  humble  in- 
dustry, which  produces  peace  and  plenty. 

22d.  First  day.  A  pretty  large  meeting,  and  to  me  a  memo- 
rably good  one,  for  my  poor  soul  was  fiivored  to  hiive  access 
to  the  throne  of  grace,  in  solemn,  silent  supplication.  I  am 
thankful  for  the  favor  of  being  silent  in  our  religious  meetings. 

2od  and  24:th.  Diligently  employed  in  my  shop,  but  not  so 
fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord,  as  I  could  wish ;  but  was 
favored  at  times  with  the  spirit  of  living  prayer,  which  is  always 
comforting  to  my  poor  soul,  when,  in  self-abasement,  I  can  beg 
for  preservation. 

2hth.  Our  select  Quarterly  Meeting,  held  at  Middletown. 
A  very  rainy  day,  and  of  course  many  of  our  members  absent ; 
but  we  had  the  truly  acceptable  company  of  S.  H.,  formerly 
S.  U.,  and  D.  C.  S.  H.  has  now  married  a  rich  man,  with 
no  children,  and  I  fear  that  ease  and  idleness  may  sully  her 
beautiful  gift  in  the  ministry;  and  if  so,  it  will  furnish  my  mind 
with  another  evidence  of  the  truth  of  our  Lord's  sayings,  that 
his  disciples  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon.  While  this 
dear  woman  was  a  poor  widow,  she  certainly  was  a  precious 
minister.  D.  C.  appears  to  be  a  valuable  young  minister,  and 
his  communication   among  us  to-day  was  to  me  peculiarly  in- 


215 

structive.  He  made  a  parable  of  an  inconsistent  farmer^  who  suf- 
fered the  pernicious  thistle,  carrot,  and  running  briar,  to  grow 
in  his  own  field,  while  he  was  continually  finding  fault  with 
other  farmers  for  letting  weeds  grow  in  theirs.  This  led  to 
the  following  reflections,  which  I  tried  to  express,  but  thought 
I  made  out  very  poorly,  and  was  only  comforted  that  I  spoke 
in  the  cross  to  my  own  will.  "  That  spirit  of  unbelief  which 
I  fear  is  increasing  in  the  minds  of  some  ministers  and  elders  in 
the  Society  of  Friends,  I  compare  to  the  Canada  thistle, 
which,  when  it  gets  root,  will  grow  even  in  the  middle  of  the 
great  road,  and  is  dreadfully  destructive  amongst  grain  and 
hay ;  and  it  is  said  that  the  poor  thoughtless  sheep  will  pick 
it  out  from  amongst  other  fodder,  and  eat  it,  like  they  do  the 
poison  laurel :  such  as  ministers  who  can  say  that  a  Eoman 
priest  in  Ireland  has  done  greater  works  than  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  there  are  now  many  greater  reformers  than  he  was — 
that  Friends'  silent  worship  is  a  mere  humbug;  that  there  are 
some  good  things  in  the  New  Testament,  if  they  could  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  absurdities  that  are  in  it ;  and  that  the  bock  of 
Samuel  is  not  to  be  depended  upon,  having  been  written  by 
no  body  knows  who.  These  sentiments  being  written  in  books, 
periodicals,  and  papers,  are  to  be  found  in  too  many  Friends' 
houses,  and  I  really  fear  in  company  with  Paine' s  Age  of  Rea- 
son, and  other  pernicious  books.  Too  often,  alas  !  our  nega- 
tively innocent,  unconscious  youth,  pick  out  these  books,  and 
read  them  in  preference  to  the  Scriptures  and  Friends'  writings, 
which  are  soon  turned  into  ridicule,  as  bigoted,  contracted  pro- 
ductions, not  fit  to  be  read  in  this  enlightened  age.  Mean- 
while our  enemies,  the  priests  and  Orthodox,  are  laughing  in 
their  sleeves  at  the  fulfilment  of  all  their  predictions.  Such 
elders  as  can  publicly,  privately,  and  practically,  unite  with 
the  foregoing  sentiments,  and  at  the  same  time  declare  they 
know  nothing  about  such  books,  and  express  their  astonish- 
ment that  the  subject  should  be  mentioned,  I  fear  add  falsehood 
to  dissimulation,  and  thus  prove  that  the  fear  of  the  Lord  as 
a  fountain  of  light,  has  not  preserved  them  from  that  snare  of 
death,  self-righteousness. 

This  spirit  I  compared  to  wild  carrot,  whose  white  blossom 
and  genteel  appearance  is  somewhat  beautiful  to  a  superficial 
observer,  while  its  poisonous  seed  is  blown  over  the  land,  to 
the  great  injury  of  the  precious   wheat.     Such  Fiiends,  not- 


216 

wltlistanding  tlieir  plaiu  outside  appearance,  and  activity  in 
our  meetings  for  business,  professing  great  concern  for  the 
Indian  and  the  African,  and  the  spreading  of  useful  knowledge 
by  means  of  scholastic  education,  are  enemies  to  the  cross  of 
Christ,  and  the  baneful  influence  of  their  spirit  and  example 
on  their  families,  justifies  the  saying  of  the  inspired  prophet, 
that  the  "  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes,  and  the  children's 
teeth  are  set  on  edge."  Hence  the  pride,  the  arrogance,  the 
scoffing,  jeering,  and  game-making  spirit  among  too  many  of 
our  young  members.  Others  appear  like  the  Felixes  and  the 
G-allios,  that  care  for  none  of  those  things,  but  are  content  to 
creep  along  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  like  the  running  briar, 
stronger  and  deeper  in  the  earth  than  out  of  it ;  influenced  by 
the  strongest  law  of  their  common  nature  called  self,  they 
are  rough  and  thorny  in  their  spirit,  and  whoever  puts  forth 
his  hand  to  touch  their  interest,  will  be  scratched  and  wound- 
ed. This  spirit  being  earthly,  is  sensual,  if  not  devilish ; 
hence  that  covetousness  and  love  of  money,  that  leads  members 
of  the  Society  of  Friends  to  grind  the  face  of  the  poor,  making 
them  pay  a  six  per  cent,  interest  for  money,  when  they  know 
it  is  not  worth  it,  or  such  a  rent  as  is  an  oppression,  mani- 
festing a  meanness  and  unmanliness  that  is  disgraceful :  hence, 
too,  the  want  of  moral  rectitude  amongst  too  man}^  of  our 
members,  who  are  on  the  highway  to  become  common  drunk- 
ards, visiters  of  taverns,  and,  I  fear  I  may  add,  houses  of  ill 
fame.  Alas  I  what  was  presented  before  us  at  our  last  County 
Court?  Two  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends  arraigned  be- 
fore the  said  Court,  and  condemned — -one  for  stealing,  the 
other  for  a  riot,  and  being  a  common  nuisance.  Alas  I  I  say, 
for  the  character  of  our  once  respectable  Society. 

I  am  thankful  that  I  have  been  permitted  to  suffer  with  the 
suffering  seed,  in  the  several  Quarterly  Meetings  constituting 
this  Yearly  Meeting,  and  in  silent  supplication  to  say,  "  Spare 
thy  peoj)le,  0  Lord,  and  give  not  thy  heritage  to  a  reproach.-' 

2Qth.  Our  general  Quarterly  Meeting ;  hardly  as  large  as 
usual,  the  w^eather  being  cold  and  unpleasant.  One  of  our 
ranters  made  a  speech,  of  a  cold,  stale,  and  to  me  unpleasantly 
personal  character,  scarcely  worthy  of  notice.  Then  S.  H. 
delivered  an  appropriate  discourse,  which  appeared  to  have  a 
good  effect  upon  the  congregation.  However,  be  that  as  it 
may,  we  certainly  had  a  better  Quarterly  Meeting  than  we  had 


at  tlie  Falls,  three  months  ago.  I  was  constrained  at  the  close 
of  the  meeting,  and  from  a  real  sense  of  religious  duty,  to  speak 
in  substance  as  follows  :  '^  That  our  meetings  for  religious 
worship  grew  out  of  the  great  conviction  of  our  early  Friends, 
that  Jesus  Christ  had  come  without  sin  unto  salvation,  to  fulfil 
his  great  promise,  recorded  in  the  14th  chapter  of  John,  to 
teach  his  people  himself,  and  to  purify  them  from  all  iniquity, 
and  that  they  might  be  zealous  of  good  works.  Hence  their 
concern  to  meet  together,  to  wait  for  the  blessed  appearance  of 
the  great  God,  and  their  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ:  for  in  this 
blessed  appearance  they  recognized  what  the  Lord's  prophet 
saw  in  heavenly  prospective,  a  wonderful  Counsellor,  the  mighty 
God,  the  everlasting  Father,  and  the  Prince  of  Peace  •  and 
that  of  the  increase  of  his  kingdom  there  should  be  no  end. 
Being  fully  persuaded  it  was  their  religious  duty  thus  to  meet 
together,  nothing  could  deter  them  from  faithfully  attending 
their  religious  meetings  twice  a  week,  even  at  the  risk  of  their 
health,  their  property,  their  liberty,  and  their  lives.  But  none 
of  these  things  grieved  them,  neither  did  they  count  their  lives 
dear,  that  they  might  win  Christ,  and  when  he  appeared  among 
them  as  a  quickening  spirit,  such  was  the  tenderness  and  con- 
trition, that  the  floor  of  the  meeting  house  would  frequently 
be  wet  with  their  tears,  when  not  a  word  was  spoken.  And 
after  all  their  tremendous  sufferings  for  this  precious  testimony 
of  worshipping  a  Heavenly  Father  in  solemn  silence,  are  we  to 
be  told  now  that  it  is  nothing  but  a  humbug,  or  an  abomina- 
tion in  the  Divine  sight;  and  that,  too,  by  some  of  our  own 
ministers.  Alas  !  for  the  Society  of  Friends,  should  this  spirit 
gain  the  ascendancy,  which  I  humbly  hope  will  not  be  the 
case."  I  was  likewise  led  to  state,  in  reference  to  my  own  ex- 
perience, that  although  some  might  pity  me  as  a  fool,  and  oth- 
ers ridicule  me  as  an  enthusiast,  I  did  verily  believe,  that 
every  Christian  pilgi-im  must  pass  through  the  same  tempta- 
tions, according  to  their  degree,  that  the  Captain  of  their  sal- 
vation passed  through ;  and  we  read  that  he  was  led  into  the 
wilderness,  and  there  tempted  of  the  Devil,  first  to  command 
the  stones  to  be  made  bread,  and  secondl}^,  being  placed  upon 
the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  to  cast  himself  down ;  and  thirdly 
and  lastly,  he  was  offered  all  the  kingdoms  and  glory  of  this 
world,  with  all  their  riches,  if  he  would  worship  the  Devil. 
But  the  dear  son  of   God  rejected  them  all,  with  these  con- 

'  19 


218 

elusive  reasons  :  '^It  is  written  that  man  is  not  to  live  by 
bread  alone,  but  bj  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the 
mouth  of  G-od,  and  that  he  should  worship  the  Lord  his  God, 
and  him  only  should  he  serve/'  Now  it  appears  to  me  that 
all  who  are  called  to  follow  Jesus  Christ,  when,  coming  up  to 
the  perfection  of  their  first  nature,  are  tempted  with  pride, 
which,  if  given  way  to,  their  hearts  become  hard  and  their 
spirits  fierce,  and  if  they  profess  to  be  religious,  their  religion 
is  like  that  of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  whilst  he  was  a  satellite  of  the 
priests — exceedingly  mad  against  those  who  difiered  from  him. 
This  state  of  mind  is  hard,  like  a  stone,  and  their  impetuous 
zeal,  which  is  not  according  to  knowledge,  drives  them  impe- 
riously to  command  this  stone-like  state  to  be  made  bread. 
Hence,  the  seed  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  is  suffering 
within  them,  "  suifereth  violence,  and  the  violent  take  it  by 
force."  Hence,  too,  the  origin  of  that  religious  persecution 
and  bloodshed  that  has  disgraced  the  cause  of  religion.  These 
become  an  easy  prey  to  the  two  following  temptations,  and 
consequently,  children  of  the  Devil,  or  deluded  votaries  of 
anti-Christ.  Such  as  withstand  this  first  temptation,  witness 
an  enlargement  of  soul  and  an  increase  of  light,  which  cannot 
be  hid  under  a  bed  or  a  bushel,  and  therefore  they  become  the 
subjects  of  the  praise  of  silly  women  and  the  flattery  of  fools, 
which  assist  the  Devil  in  placing  them  on  the  pinnacle — a 
state  of  spiritual  pride  and  presumption.  This  formidable 
temptation  generally  takes  place  at  the  meridian  of  life,  when 
the  reasoning  powers  are  the  strongest ;  self-righteousness 
and  presumption  take  them  by  the  hand ;  the  Scriptures,  that 
were  once  read  with  tears,  are  superceded  by  newspapers  and 
other  periodicals,  and,  though  containing  the  most  important 
history,  the  purest  morality,  and  the  finest  strains  of  poetry 
and  eloquence  that  is  to  be  found  in  any  book,  in  whatever  age 
or  language  it  may  have  been  comj^osed,  are  considered  weak, 
insipid,  and  absurd,  in  comparison  with  the  publications  of 
this  enlightened  age.  And  even  that  glorious  personage  recog- 
nized by  the  primitive  saints  as  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  is 
considered  nothing  more  than  a  man,  and  perhaps  inferior  to 
the  great  Catholic  priest  of  Ireland.  If  such  are  preachers, 
they  appear  to  me  to  have  entered  the  wide  gate,  and  are 
travelling  the  broad  way  to  downright  unbelief  in  the  Christian 
religion  ;  or  in  other  words,  like    William    Cowper's  brother 


219 

John,  wishing  and  trying  to  establish  themselves  in  Deism. 
If  such  as  these  profess  to  be  Quakers  or  Friends,  they  ques- 
tion the  authenticity  of  every  passage  of  scripture  which  they 
cannot  comprehend  by  their  reason,  and  even  consider  their 
own  sermons  and  writings,  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, which  now  present  to  their  darkened  minds  many  para- 
doxical contradictions  ]  for  the  light  that  was  once  in  them 
having  become  darkness,  how  great  is  that  darkness !  This 
appears  to  me  to  be  the  tremendous  temptation  presented  to 
Society,  both  in  their  collective  and  individual  capacity,  and  in 
proportion  as  we  have  yielded  to  the  temptation,  divisions 
have  taken  place  among  the  wrestling  seed  of  Jacob,  and  a 
sorrowful  scattering  in  our  spiritual  Israel :  and  it  is  my  duty 
to  proclaim  to  such  as  these,  in  the  fear  of  Him  who  is  the 
dread  of  nations,  that  if  they  do  not  return  to  their  first  love, 
they  are  in  a  fair  way  to  become  fallen  angels,  or  Devils  in- 
carnate— for  remember  what  is  written,  '^  Have  I  not  chosen 
you  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a  Devil  V^  He  spoke  of  Judas, 
the  son  of  Simon,  that  betrayed  him ;  a  man  who  once  had  a 
precious  gift  in  the  ministry,  and  was  actually  employed  in 
preaching  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Grospel  to  the  people.  Oh! 
my  soul,  is  not  this  an  awful  consideration  ? 

I  have  cause  for  humble  thankfulness,  that,  whilst  passing 
through  temptations  on  ''  the  pinnacle,"  that  I  was  preserved 
from  indulging  a  disbelief  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  the 
great  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion,  as  professed  by 
Friends  ;  but  I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  listened  too  much  to 
the  songs  of  silly  women,  and  fell  a  victim  to  the  sinful  feelings 
of  jealousy,  envy,  and  ill  will,  the  inseparable  companions  of 
spiritual  pride,  against  my  brethren  and  sisters  in  the  ministry ; 
and  was  sadly  tormented  when  I  heard  the  women  singing  after 
them.  My  heart  being  now  hard,  the  Scriptures  that  I  once 
read  with  tenderness  and  contrition,  lost  in  my  view  much  of 
their  interest,  and  I  preferred  reading  more  fashionable  books; 
and  midweek  meetings,  which  I  once  loved  to  attend,  to  weep 
and  pray,  became  a  burthen  to  me,  although  I  never  dared  to 
omit  them.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  these  temptations,  the 
Heavenly  Shepherd  never  entirely  left  me,  but  extended  the 
crook  of  his  loving  kindness,  for  my  preservation  from  selling 
my  Saviour,  like  Judas,  or  even  asking  his  greatest  enemies, 
the  priests,  what  they  would  give  me.    Indeed  I  am  thankful 


220 

tliat  I  never  frequented  their  company,  even  to  warm  myself 
with  their  servants,  like  Peter;  but  alas  !  like  Peter,  I  have  too 
often  drawn  my  own  sword  in  the  spirit  of  war,  and  cut  off,  as 
it  were,  the  right  ear  of  those  with  whom  I  was  contending. 
Like  Peter  I  have  lied,  like  Peter  I  have  sworn,  and  like  Peter 
I  have  wept  tears  of  bitter  repentance  ;  but  never,  never  like 
Judas,  sold  my  Saviour  fur  money.  Oh !  blessed  preservation  ! 
may  my  soul  bow  in  humble  thankfulness,  adoration,  and 
praise,  to  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  the  Lamb, 
Therefore  the  great  temptation  of  the  riches  and  honors  of  the 
world,  have  but  little  influence  upon  me  at  this  period  of  my 
life,  and  the  testimonies  given  me  to  bear,  are  not  likely  to  in- 
crease my  dangler.  I  have  therefore  an  humble  hope  that  I 
shall  not  be  a  worshipper  of  the  Devil. 

I  fear  there  are  too  few  that  get  through  this  temptation  on 
"  the  pinnacle,"  without  being  sadly  crippled  by  the  Devil,  and 
some  of  us  preachers  so  much  so,  as  to  remain  in  bondage  to 
the  love  of  money,  the  love  of  power,  and  the  iuve  of  fame. 
Hence  the  increasing-  number  of  preachers  who  can  live  like 
worldly-minded  gentlemen,  clothed  as  it  were  with  purple  and 
fine  linen,  faring  sumptuously  every  day ;  and  Quaker  minis- 
ters who  can  live  on  usury  in  ease  and  idleness,  although  they 
may  preach  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  angels,  and  be  as  in- 
dustrious in  travelling  as  Jesuit  missionaries,  how  will  they 
stand  to  be  judged  before  the  humble  carpenter,  with  the  ex- 
ample of  the  industrious  tent-maker,  as  a  witness  against  them. 

27fh,  and  28tJi.  Industriously  engaged  in  my  business. 

29th.  First  day.  I  had  a  favored  meeting  in  solemn  si- 
lence, and  was  thankful  for  preservation.  M.  S.  gave  us  a 
grammatical  communication,  and  M.  F.,  from  Trenton,  spoke  a 
few  words  with  solemnity  and  propriety. 

SOth.  My  dear  old  aunt,  Sarah  Hibbs,  died  this  morning,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one.  I  think  she  was  an  innocent, 
good  woman. 

12th  month    1st.  Busily  employed  in  my  shop. 

2cl  Aunt  Sarah's  house  being  too  small  to  hold  her  i^latives» 
Friends  thought  best  to  have  the  meeting  in  the  meeting  house. 
The  corpse  was  therefore  brought  in,  and  it  was  to  me  a  solemu 
and  interesting  opportunity. 

Sd.  Our  Preparative  meeting.  I  did  not  labor  hard  enough 
for  the  blessing  of  a  good  meeting,  and  therefore  got  but  littlo 


221 

pay ;  but  I  ought  to  be  content  with  my  wages.  Felt  a  little 
too  Orthodox  at  one  of  our  active  members,  who  I  am  told  does 
not  walk  orderly  towards  those  who  are  without,  and  therefore 
there  is  not  a  good  report  of  him;  yet  he  will  keep  talking  in 
meeting  for  business,  and  that,  too,  while  sitting  on  his  seat.  I 
reproved  him  openly  according  to  the  advice  of  the  apostle, 
and  he  retorted.  I  felt  uncharitably  towards  him,  but  I  was 
silent;  of  course  I  did  not  manifest  my  feelings. 

4zA.  I  awakened  this  morning  with  a  renewed  conviction  and 
confirmation  of  the  dreadful  consequences  of  an  Orthodox 
Spirit.  It  was  unnecessary  for  me  to  hunt  up  some  of  my  poor 
Orthodox  Friends,  to  try  to  fit  the  spirit  as  a  coat  upon  their 
backs,  for  I  could  find  nobody  that  it  would  fit  better  than  my- 
self; for  my  friend,  J.  M.  S.,  having  been  at  Burlington  quar- 
ter, told  me  that  a  certain  B.  R.  P.,  somewhat  remarkable  for 
his  poetry  and  eloquence,  and  I  think  still  more  remarkable  for 

"Conceited  thoughts  indulged  without  control," 
displayed  his  oratorical  powers  on  the  subject  of  moral  reform, 
to  great  cfi"ect  on  the  silly  women,  male  and  female,  that  were 
present  at  said  meeting;  and  that  a  certain  J.  J.,  who  has  be- 
come somewhat  distinguished  for  his  boldly  and  eloquently  ques- 
tioning the  authenticity  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  had  published 
another  edition  of  his  work,  and  had  i3rought  two  of  our  most  dis- 
tinguished ministers,  J.  C.  and  E.  S.,  as  auxiliaries  to  help  him 
confirm  the  charges  our  enemies  have  brought  against  us.  I 
say  the  information  received,  made  me  unhappy,  and  upon  ex- 
amination found  I  was  in  a  state  of  mind  towards  these  two 
young  members  of  Society,  for  Friends  I  cannot  call  them,  that 
would  rejoice  to  hear  evil  of  them.  Viewing  my  state  of  mind 
in  this  light,  I  was  really  ashamed  of  myself  to  think  how  se- 
verely I  had  censured  such  old  Orthodox  Friends,  as  B.  J.,  J. 
E.,  J.  W.,  &c.;  and  here  I  was  in  the  same  spirit,  and,  getting 
the  wallet  fairly  turned,  I  not  only  saw  that  I  was  in  that  old 
persecuting  spirit,  but  that  I  was  comparable  to  a  liar,  and  a 
murderer,  agreeably  to  the  Apostle  John's  exposition  ;  ^'  Who- 
so saith  he  loveth  G-od  and  hateth  his  brother  is  a  liar  ;  for 
how  can  he  love  Grod  whom  he  hath  not  seen,  while  he  hateth 
his  brother  whom  he  has  seen  ;  and  he  that  hateth  his  brother 
is  a  murderer." 

I  wish  distinctly  to  be  understood,  that  I  verily  believe  my 
young  brothers  are  wrong,  very  wrong,  yet  this  may  be  a  mat- 

19* 


222 

ter  of  opinion  in  comparison  to  the  matter  of  fact^  tliat  I  am 
destitute  of  that  heavenly  charity  that  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity"; 
while  I  am  indulging  such  evil  thoughts.  Oh  I  how  I  begged 
on  the  bended  knee  of  my  soul,  of  my  blessed  Saviour,  for 
grace  sufiicient  to  overcome  this  evil,  for  if  I  can^  through  this 
grace  of  God,  experience  an  overcoming  of  this  dreadful  sin^ 
then,  and  then  only,  can  I  sit  down  with  him  on  his  throne 
agreeably  to  his  blessed  promise,  "  He  that  overcometh  shall 
sit  with  me  on  my  throne,  even  as  I  have  overcome  and  am 
set  down  with  my  Father  on  his  throne/'  then,  and  then  only^ 
can  my  poor  soul  make  the  acknowledgment  embraced  in  that 
inimitable  prayer  the  blessed  Saviour  taught  his  disciples^ 
^' thine  is  the  kingdom,  the  power  and  the  glory,  for  ever  and 
ever.  Amen." 

But  there  is  another  view  of  this  subject  that  I  think  is 
worthy  of  notice.  If  1  understand  what  a  true  Christian  state  is^ 
it  is  self-abasement — the  soul  abhors  itself  in  dust  and  ashes  ; 
and  if  I  understand  what  an  anti-christian  state  is,  it  is  self- 
righteousness,  self-exaltation.  These  two  states  are  at  anti- 
podes ;  that  is,  right  opposite  to  each  other.  Now  I  would 
ask,  can  a  deluded  votary  of  anti-Christ  be  a  brother  to  a 
truly  humble  Christian,  or  can  there  be  any  unity  between 
them  ?  If  a  true  Christian  abhors  himself,  he  must  abhor  that 
same  self  in  his  fellow  creature ;  of  course  they  cannot  be 
brethren  in  the  relation  alluded  to,  by  the  apostle  John — but 
I  leave  the  question  to  be  solved  by  others. 

bth.  Quite  unwell  with  a  bad  cold ;  but  how  wonderfully  I 
have  been  favored,  this  being  the  fii'st  cold  I  have  had  for  six 
months. 

Qili.  First  day — our  meeting  large,  and  our  dear  E.  S.  gave 
us  what  I  thought  a  real  gospel  exhortation,  which  tended  to 
edification  and  comfort;  but  poor  me  thought  it  right  to  speak, 
and  I  am  afraid  some  might  think  it  a  hodge  podge  piece  of 
stuif :  however,  I  feel  no  condemnation  for  exposing  myself, 
and  there  I  must  leave  it.  But  having  made  a  bungling  refer- 
ence to  an  aifecting  and  painful  circumstance  of  a  young 
woman,  I  think  a  member  of  Wrightstown  Monthly  IMeeting, 
who  had  recently  joined  the  Methodists — who  committed  sui- 
cide— I  will  simply  repeat  the  most  affecting  part.  She  told  a 
cousin  of  mine  that  the  Scriptures  and  other  good  books  were 
not  read  in  her  father's  family.    Now  when  I  knew  her  father, 


223 

lie  was  a  membef  among  Friends,  and  wore  a  plain  coat.  H's 
subsequent  conduct,  and  present  condition,  if  living,  is  too 
painful  to  record,  and  having  alluded  to  him  as  a  steam  Doc- 
tor, in  the  narrative  of  my  life,  I  shall  leave  him  to  the  mercy 
and  forgiveness  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  the  darling  at- 
tribute of  mercy,  and  just  add  that  my  feelings  in  relation  to 
the  final  destiny  of  the  poor  dear  daughter,  were  of  a  tendering 
and  encouraging  character,  attended  with  sympathy  and  praj^er 
for  her  sadly  afflicted  mother.  Alas  I  alas  !  is  not  the  circum- 
stance above  alluded  to,  additional  evidence  of  the  sorrowful 
fact,  that  the  Society  of  Friends  are  declining  from  the  sta- 
tion they  once  held  in  the  Christian  church.  The  Scriptures 
and  other  good  books  are  superceded  by  newspapers,  periodi- 
cals, romances,  and  the  sermons  of  Unitarian  pedlars.  They 
are  certainly  changed  from  what  they  were,  when  I  had  my 
education  amongst  them.  I  never  saw  such  a  thing  as  a  ro- 
mance, or  a  Unitarian  sermon,  much  less  Paine's  Age  of  Rea- 
son, which  I  never  then  heard  tell  of,  notwithstanding  Paine 
was  then  a  popular  man.  I  very  well  remember  what  my  dear 
old  adopted  mother  said  of  a  Unitarian,  who  was  on  a  visit 
from  Philadelphia,  that  she  was  afraid  to  talk  to  him,  for  she 
considered  him  a  Deist. 

"ith.  Heard  of  the  death  of  my  old  friend  Benjamin  Zelley, 
of  old  Springfield,  N.  J.,  about  my  age.  I  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  him  at  Tuckerton,  or  Great  Egg  Harbor,  thirty- 
two  years  ago.  He  was  then  travelling  as  a  companion  to 
Clayton  Brown,  a  valuable  minister  among  Friends,  while 
Stephen  Comfort,  senior,  was  my  companion  in  travel.  Oh  ! 
how  solemn  the  consideration  that  I  only,  of  the  four,  am  left 
in  this  world. 

8^A.  Received  a  precious  letter  from  my  dear  friend  William 
Folwell,  rectifying  a  mistake,  which  was  peculiarly  relieving. 
Heard  of  the  death  of  cousin  Henrietta  Hicks,  at  New  York. 

^th  and  lOtk.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  held  at  Newtown.  A 
laborious,  hard  meeting  to  me,  owing  no  doubt  to  my  careless- 
ness and  unwatchfulness,  though  not  without  instruction.  Had 
an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  Joshua  Paul,  of  Horsham. 
Received  a  friendly  letter  from  Doctor  Ralph  C.  Marsh,  of 
Concord,  Delaware  Co.,  and  one  from  Charles  and  Sarah  Ann 
Swaine,  of  Indiana. 

The  Doctor's  letter  contained  some  remarks  on  war,  which  re- 


2U 

vived  impressions  toucliing  that  subject,  wliicli  is  now  somucli 
talked  of,  and  it  may  be  right  for  me  to  try  to  express  or  give 
some  views  that  appear  to  be  given  me. 

"  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  If  my  kingdom  were 
of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants  fight."'  This  is  the 
testimony  of  eternal  truth,  from  which  I  argue  that  the  sub- 
jects of  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  will  fight,  and  always  have 
fought,  and  I  must  rationally  infer,  that  the  subjects  of  the 
kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  never  did  fight,  never  can  fight,  nor 
never  will  fight.  The  mission  of  Jesus  Christ  to  our  world,  was 
to  redeem  man  from  the  fighting  state,  and  to  restore  him  to 
the  primeval  harmony,  when  the  fighting  animal  was  governed 
by  a  rational  soul,  created  in  the  image  of  God ;  infinite  in  its 
nature,  and  everlasting  in  its  duration ;  and  this  rational  soul 
was  governed  by  God  himself,  as  his  perfect  child,  possessing 
a  portion  of  the  same  glorious  attributes  of  infinite  power,  infi- 
nite justice,  infinite  wisdom,  and  infinite  mercy,  which  are 
embraced  in  their  perfection,  in  the  everlasting  Father.  All 
who  are  thus  restored  are  regenerated,  and  born  again.  This 
is  the  new  birth  •  oJcl  things  being  done  away,  all  things  are 
new,  and  all  things  of  God.  These  having  grown  to  the  stature 
of  men  in  Christ  are  Christians,  and  the  truth  having  set  them 
free,  they  are  free  indeed.  Such  are  the  subjects  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  and  servants  that  cannot  fight  with  carnal  weapons. 
All  who  have  not  witnessed  this  restoration  and  change  of 
heart,  are  in  their  fallen  and  consequently  fighting  state,  be- 
cause animal  nature  governs  their  souls;  therefore  they  will 
fight  by  the  same  law  that  all  male  animals  fight.  Hence  the 
great  family  of  mankind  in  their  fallen  state,  are  like  minor 
children,  and  can  no  more  be  called  Christians  with  propriety, 
than  boys  can  be  called  men.  In  this  great  family  there  is 
the  same  variety  of  capacity  and  understanding  that  would  be 
found  in  twenty  children,  descended  from  one  common  parent, 
with  one  year's  difference  in  their  ages,  or  fifty  children  of  the 
same  difference  in  age  and  capacity.  A  wise  and  good  teacher 
would  not  only  have  lessons  suitable  for  the  various  classes, 
but  rules  and  regulations  adapted  to  their  several  ages ;  and 
knowing  that  play  was  inseparable  from  the  nature  of  a  child, 
a  judicious  teacher  would  command  the  time  and  place,  and 
enforce  obedience  to  his  commandments  :  thus  establishing  an 
important  point — submission  to  superior  power.     Hence  Paul 


225 

compares  tlie  law  of  Moses  to  a  schoolmaster^  which  was  added 
because  of  transgression,  and  to  remain  in  force  until  Christ 
come,  who  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  all  them 
that  believe.  Now  it  appears  to  me,  that  the  infinitely  wise 
and  merciful  Heavenly  Father,  knowing  that  his  creature 
man,  in  his  fallen  state,  must  fight,  and  would  fight  as 
naturally  as  the  game  cock,  or  any  other  animal  creature, 
instituted  laws  to  regulate  his  warlike  spirit,  and  bring  it  into 
obedience  to  his  commands,  and  into  subservience  to  the  great 
attribute  of  justice;  therefore  the  most  sacred  and  import- 
ant history  presents  to  us  some  of  the  elder  and  more  perfect 
children  of  this  great  family,  such  as  Moses,  Joshua,  Gideon, 
David,  &c.,  who  were  great  warriors,  but  faithful,  dignified 
servants  of  the  Most  High  •  and  as  the  law  that  embraces 
coercive  government  continues,  the  same,  and  must  continue 
while  men  are  in  a  fallen,  and  consequently  fighting  state,  the 
history  of  latter  ages  presented  to  us  such  warriors  and  bene- 
factors as  Hampden,  Washington,  &c.  Now  it  appears  to  me 
worthy  of  particular  notice,  that  when  the  Saviour  of  the  world 
came  to  save  the  souls  of  the  children  of  men  from  sin,  by 
delivering  them  from  the  bondage  of  their  animal  nature,  and 
putting  them  in  possession  of  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  chil- 
dren of  God — I  say  it  is  worthy  of  particular  notice,  that  this 
great  minister  of  the  sanctuary,  and  perfect  pattern  of  ever- 
lasting righteousness,  never  spoke  against  such  soldiers  as 
Moses,  Joshua,  Gideon,  and  David,  much  less  abused  them, 
or  pointed  out,  when  in  the  temple  and  synagogues,  whither  the 
Jews  resorted,  their  bloody  acts  and  butcheries,  or  called  in 
question  the  truths  of  those  Scriptures,  which  contained  their 
acts  and  sayings )  but  we  are  informed  that  he  manifested 
great  kindness,  and  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  praise  to  a 
Koman  soldier,  declaring  his  faith  exceeded  the  faith  of  all  the 
Israelites.  This  soldier  was  not  only  brave,  but  he  was  noble, 
generous,  humane,  and  humble;  and  of  course  a  kind  sympa- 
thising master  to  such  as  were  placed  under  his  care ;  and 
hence  that  solicitude  for  the  restoration  of  his  sick  servant, 
which  induced  him  to  apply  to  the  Divine  Saviour,  to  cure  his 
slave,  as  our  modern  abolitionists  would  call  him,  for  there  is 
no  doubt  that  this  excellent  soldier  was  a  slaveholder. 

Neither  have  I  any  recollection   that  Peter  or  Paul  ever 
prostituted  their  tongues,  or  their  pens,  in  abusing  soldiers  j 


226 

and  in  making  them  out  murderers  and  butchers  of  the  human 
family.  But  we  are  told  that  Peter  had  a  most  extraordinary 
meeting  with  a  Roman  soldier,  who  was  not  only  noble  and 
generous,  but  devout — at  which  time  he  was  converted  to 
Christianity  :  and  Paul  was  saved  from  falling  a  sacrifice  to 
religious  fanatics,  headed  by  wicked  priests,  by  the  generous 
bravery  of  a  Roman  General.  These  consistent  and  exemplary 
Christian  ministers,  so  far  from  abusing  the  Government  and 
tha  instruments  that  were  made  use  of  for  its  support,  recom- 
mended and  practiced  daily  prayers  for  them,  declaring  that 
"  the  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God,  and  whoso  resisteth 
the  power,  resisteth  the  ordinance  of  God,  and  such  as  thus  re- 
sist, bring  upon  themselves  damnation,''  Such  appears  to 
have  been  the  spirit  and  practice  of  the  primitive  saints.  And 
in  reading  the  history  of  early  Friends,  I  do  not  remember 
that  they  manifested  the  persecuting,  malignant,  bitter  spirit, 
which  appears  in  some  who  go  under  the  name  of  Friends  in 
our  day,  towards  soldiers ;  for  many  of  the  first  Quakers  had 
been  soldiers,  or  were  the  children  of  soldiers.  The  father  of 
the  illustrious  Penn  was  a  great  soldier,  and  bore  a  noble  tes- 
timony to  the  blessed  truth,  as  professed  by  Friends,  on  his 
death  bed.  The  two  greatest  preachers  amongst  them  had 
been  soldiers,  and  officers  in  the  Parliamentary  army ;  and  the 
preaching  of  one  of  them  made  such  an  impression  on  a 
soldier,  who,  I  could  wish  to  believe,  was  the  excellent  Colonel 
John  Hampden,  that  he  afterwards  so  efiiectually  preached  to 
two  young  men  in  a  tavern,  that  they  both  became  great 
preachers.  The  story,  as  1  read  it,  nearly  forty  years  ago,  is 
in  substance  as  follows: 

Two  gay  young  men  of  the  world,  in  England,  were  one 
First  day  drinking  in  a  tavern,  and  the  subject  of  their  di- 
version was  the  peculiarities  of  the  Quakers.  They  had  no- 
ticed a  very  serious,  dignified  officer  of  rank  in  the  same  room, 
a  silent,  and  no  doubt  sorrowful,  witness  of  their  ignorance 
and  folly,  who  thus  addressed  them:  "Young  men,  you  ap- 
pear to  be  making  yourselves  merry  at  the  expense  of  a 
people  who  you  are  entirely  ignorant  of ;  and  as  I  once  in- 
dulged the  same  contemptuous  opinions,  with  your  permission 
I  will  tell  you  how  my  prejudices  were  superceded  by  love 
and  respect  for  these  most  consistent  Christians.  After  the 
battle  of  Dunbar,  I  was  riding  at  the  head  of  my  regiment,  and 


227 

saw  afc  a  little  distance  from  the  high-way  a  great  collection  of 
people  5  and  it  being  a  time  of  revolution,  I  sent  the  advanced 
guard  to  ascertain  their  design,  and,  if  evil,  disperse  them. 
They  appeared  peaceably  to  stay,  and  I  marched  up  with  the 
rest  of  the  army,  when  I  saw  a  Quaker  preacher  speaking  to 
the  people  with  such  power  and  Divine  authority,  that  I  trem- 
bled more  at  the  sight  of  myself,  under  the  powerful  ministry  of 
J.  X.,  than  I  did  at  the  battle  I  had  just  witnessed,  when  the  bul- 
lets flew  round  me  like  hail.  I  therefore  advise  you  to  go  and 
do  as  I  did — go  and  see  and  feel  for  yourselves,  and  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  you  will  change  your  opinion  of  them."  This  ser- 
mon, so  unexpectedj-and  coming  from  a  soldier,  had  a  won- 
derful effect  on  those  two  young  men,  and  induced  them  to  go 
the  next  First  day,  twenty  miles  to  a  Quaker  meeting,  where 
they  were  both  convinced,  and  both  became  great  ministers  of 
the  everlasting  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

This  story,  if  true,  and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  it,  presents 
to  our  view  a  soldier  in  a  very  different  light  from  what  they 
are  presented  by  modern  reformers  and  upstart  Quaker  preach- 
ers ;  for  really  I  must  sincerely  confess,  that  I  view  myself,  in 
comparison  with  such  a  soldier  as  Colonel  John  Hampden,  as  a 
mere  insignificant  imbecile,  and  have  reason  to  fear  that  all  the 
preaching  I  have  done  in  my  life,  has  not  added  as  much  to 
the  stature  of  truth  as  the  preaching  of  that  soldier,  whose 
character  and  dying  sayings  are  thus  spoken  of  by  an  eminent 
English  writer: 

*'It  was  when,  to  the  sullen  tyranny  of  Laud  and  Charles, 
had  succeeded  the  fierce  conflicts  of  sects  and  factions,  ambi- 
tious of  ascendency,  and  burning  for  revenge, — it  was  when 
the  vices  and  ignorance  which  the  old  tyranny  had  generated, 
threatened  the  new  freedom  with  destruction,  that  England 
missed  that  sobriety,  that  self-command,  that  perfect  soundness 
of  judgment,  that  perfect  rectitude  of  intention,  to  which  the 
history  of  revolutions  furnishes  no  parallel,  or  furnishes  a  pa- 
rallel in  "Washington  alone.  ^In  the  first  charge  Hampden 
was  struck  in  the  shoulder  by  two  bullets,  which  broke  the 
bones  and  lodged  in  his  body' — then,  ^with  his  head  drooping 
and  his  hands  leaning  on  his  horse's  neck,  he  moved  feebly  out  of 
the  battle/  'A  short  time  before  his  death,  the  sacrament  was 
administered  to  him/  and  '  when  all  was  nearly  over,  he  lay 
murmuring  faint  prayers  for  himself  and  for  the  cause  in  whicn 


228 

he  died.  Lord  Jesus,  he  exclaimed  in  the  moment  of  his  lasi 
agony,  receive  my  soul — Oh  Lord  !  save  my   country, — Oh 

Lord  be  merciful  to ,  in  that  broken  ejaculation  passed 

away  his  noble  and  fearless  spirit/' 

With  this  view,  I  cannot  help  looking  round  with  anger  on 
such  unbelievers  in  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  apostles  speak  of — - 
presumptuous,  despisers  of  governments,  who  are  not  afraid 
to  speak  evil  of  dignities— such  soldiers  and  benefactors  as 
Hampden  and  Washington ;  but  I  hope  I  am  grieved  at  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts  and  the  deficiencies  of  their  under- 
standing, and  I  certainly  ought  to  pass  by  in  silence,  or  treat 
with  silent  contempt,  the  impotent  abuse  of  a  silly  New  Eng- 
land girl,  because  the  eiFervescence  of  the  tongue  of  a  terma- 
gant is  not  considered  slander.  But  when  a  Quaker  preacher 
breaks  the  commandment  of  the  moral  law  that  says,  "  Thoia 
shalt  not  speak  evil  of  the  rulers  of  thy  people,'^  and  the  dis- 
cipline of  his  own  Society,  abusing  the  government  under 
which  he  lives,  and  encouraging  a  faction,  which  has  for  its 
object  the  dissolution  of  the  Union,  and  the  consequent  intro- 
duction of  anarchy  and  confusion, — I  say,  that  when  such  pal- 
pable inconsistency  presents  itself,  it  cannot  be  passed  by  with 
impunity.  I  therefore  feel  it  my  duty  to  bear  my  feeble  testi- 
mony against  such  false  brethren ;  for  I  am  grieved  at  my 
heart,  when  I  consider  that  the  infinitely  wise  and  merciful  Je- 
hovah has  provided  through  distinguished  instruments  the  most 
blessed  asylum  that  we  Quakers  have  ever  had — a  mild,  gener- 
ous, and  just  government,  which  extends  its  wings  of  protec- 
tion over  our  civil  and  religious  rights,  that  we  preachers  should 
manifest  so  much  of  the  grovelling  selfishness  of  the  inferior 
animals,  who  enjoy  the  fruit,  but  never  look  up  with  gratitude 
to  the  source  from  whence  the  enjoyment  comes;  but,  like 
them,  trample  the  precious  pearl  under  foot,  and  turn  and  rend 
the  hand  which  presented  it.  And  the  manner  in  which  too 
many  treat  the  Holy  Scriptures,  justifies  the  caution  of  the  Di- 
vine Master,  "  Clive  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  dogs.'' 

I  repeat  it  again,  that  I  am  ashamed  of  every  act  and  saying 
in  my  life,  of  the  character  above  described,  and  I  am  asha  ned  of 
my  brethren  and  sisters  that  have  been  permitted  to  live  in 
the  golden  age  of  the  best  government  under  hciven, — in  the 
land  of  Penn,  and  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  brotherly  love, — 
the  lap  of  indulgence  and  luxury,  and  some,  with  a  mushroom 


229 

popularltyj  that  is  dandling  tliem  about  like  doll-babieSj  standing 
within  the  walls  of  a  peaceable  Quaker  meeting  house,  prating 
against  the  government  that  furnished  the  asylum  ;  and,  not- 
withstanding their  ugly  spirit,  still  protects  their  heads  from 
merited  insult.  Poor,  contemptible,  womanish  weakness,  which 
never  felt  the  noble  spirit  of  patriotism  our  Lord  alludes  to 
when  he  says,  '^  Grreater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend."  Upstarts,  whose  narrow 
contracted,  self-righteous  souls  were  never  capable  of  entering 
into  sympathy  with  the  poor  soldiers  of  1776,  their  hardships, 
privations  and  sufferings, — whose  footsteps  were  marked  with 
their  own  blood, — whose  tedious  nights  and  wearisome  days, 
involving  the  most  awful  responsibility,  were  so  marked  in  the 
lines  and  configuration  of  the  face  of  the  illustrious  Washing- 
ton, that  the  goodly  young  Quaker  who  visited  him  on  busi- 
ness in  Seventy-six,  received  such  impressions  of  sympathy  and 
respect,  that  he  ever  spoke  of  him  with  feeling  reverence;  and 
at  the  venerable  age  of  more  than  fourscore,  I  heard  him  re- 
peat it  with  peculiar  energy  and  simplicity.  But  this  consis- 
tent Quaker  was  entirely  different  from  those  I  have  alluded 
to.  He  followed  his  heavenly  pattern  in  the  path  of  humble 
industry,  and  like  him,  maintained  and  cherished  his  widowed 
mother,  and  like  him,  was  a  poor,  illiterate  mechanic ;  no  mar- 
vel is  it,  then,  that  he  should  be  entirely  different  from  the  pam- 
pered nurslings  of  a  boarding  school. 

I  am  perfectly  aware  that  these  strictures  may  give  offence 
and  confirm  the  charge  that  is  brought  against  me  of  being  in 
favor  of  war ;  but  I  again  declare,  that  the  Prince  of  Peace 
came  into  the  world  to  put  an  end  to  war,  and  to  redeem  man 
from  his  fighting  state;  and  hence,  with  legions  of  angels  at 
his  command,  he  bore  the  contradiction  of  sinners.  His  sacred 
countenance,  impressed  with  divine  glory,  was  spit  upon, — he 
was  buffeted, — he  was  scourged,  and  finally  put  to  the  ignomi- 
nious death  of  the  cross,  without  making  any  resistance, 
praying  in  the  last  extremity  for  his  enemies.  "  Father 
forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they  do."  Ah  !  blessed 
Saviour,  thy  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  therefore  thy  real 
disciples  never  can  fight  with  carnal  weapons.  Thy  children, 
thy  dear  disciples,  who  heard  thy  gracious  words,  with  their 
outward  ears,  as  well  as  their  inward,  were  instructed  by  thy 
example  to  make  no  resistance,  but  passively  to  submit  to  out- 

20 


230 

ward  power,  and  to  respect  civil  government,  however  corrupt. 
Thou  didst  even  pay  the  tax  that  was  laid  upon  thy  people  by 
the  sword  of  the  heathen,  and  thereby  declared  that  the  power 
of  the  Roman  governor  was  given  him  from  above.  But,  alas  ! 
how  different  is  the  precepts  and  example  of  thy  professed 
followers  of  the  present  day.  My  very  soul  is  grieved  with 
the  anarchy  of  the  modern  ranters  now  among  Friends. 

llih  and  12th.  Spent  in  my  shop  at  work.  Had  an  invita- 
tion to  the  funeral  of  Jacob  Smithy  of  Lambertville,  N.  J. 
It  was  the  particular  request  of  his  youngest  daughter,  who 
was  quite  a  little  girl  at  the  death  of  her  mother,  whose  funeral 
I  attended  ten  or  twelve  years  ago. 

loth.  First  day~a  pretty  large  meeting,  but  not  one  of  my 
good  meetings,  for  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  speak,  and  I  am  afraid 

ither  to  edification  or  comfort. 

14:th,  16th  and  IQth.  Very  busy  in  my  shop;  nothing  that 
needeth  notice. 

17th.  Our  midweek  meeting ;  a  tremendous  snow  storm; 
notwithstanding,  we  had  a  good  little  meeting. 

l^th  and  19^X.  Confined  in  my  shop  at  work;  very  diligent 
in  business,  though  evidently  deficient  in  fervency  of  spirit, 
serving  the  Lord. 

20th.  First  day,  quite  a  large  meeting,  not  very  comforta- 
ble to  me,  for  I  thought  it  right  to  speak ;  and  if  my  speaking 
is  as  unpleasant  to  others  as  it  is  to  me,  it  must  have  been  an 
unpleasant  time. 

21sf,  22d  and  2^d.  Diligently  employed  in  my  shop,  but 
not  sufficiently  devout.  How  true  is  the  saying,  "  Ye  cannot 
serve  God  and  Mammon. 

24ith.  Our  midweek  meeting  well  attended.  Our  friends, 
J.  M.  S.  and  wife,  had  good  service.  I  was  silent,  but  too 
shackling  in  spirit  to  be  rightly  benefitted ;  or,  at  best,  like 
Martha,  busy  and  troubled  about  many  things.  Oh  !  this 
restless,  active  mind,  this  all  pervading,  this  all  conscious 
soul,  this  particle  of  energy.  Oh  !  that  it  was  more  under 
the  government  of  Jesus  Christ  as  a  quickening  spirit. 

2btliy  2Qth  and  27th.  Attending  to  my  business  in  my  shop, 
and  reading  my  new  publication,  which  I  call  in  the  title  page, 
''  A  little  present  for  Friends  and  Friendly  People,  in  the  form 
of  a  miscellaneous  discourse,  by  a  poor  illiterate  mechanic. '^ 
The  work  is  well  done,  and  but  few  mistakes  of  any  conse- 
quence.    I  feel  peace  of  mind  in  doing  what  I  verily  believed 


231 

to  be  my  religious  duty,  and  send  it  forth  in  the  language  of 
Young. 

Go  thou  minute  devoted  pasce, 

Go  forth  among  thy  foes — go  forth, 

And  suffer  martyrdon:i  for  truth. 

2%tli.  First  day,  a  large,  and  to  me  a  precious  meeting,  be- 
cause my  poor  soul  was  permitted  to  enter  the  house  of  silent 
prayer.  My  sister,  S.  W.,  spoke  a  few  words  of  a  radical 
character.  Ah  !  poor  woman,  she  may  really  think  that  the 
religion  we  profess,  is  spoken  against  in  the  streets,  because 
it  is  traditional,  and  handed  down  from  the  Bible;  but  it  is 
quite  possible  that  some  who  are  acquainted  with  my  sister's 
spirit  and  conduct,  might  take  the  liberty  to  think  that  one 
of  the  reasons  that  religion  is  cried  against  in  the  street,  is 
that  we  preachers  preach  one  thing,  and  practice  another;  or, 
in  other  words,  we  do  not  live  up  to  our  own  doctrine. 

I^tli,  Wth  and  31s^.  Spent  in  my  shop,  and  to  avoid  mo-, 
notony,  I  must  be  short. 

1st  month  Isf,  1847.  Exactly  such  a  day  as  it  was  seven- 
teen years  ago,  warm  and  mild  like  spring. 

2(1  and  Sd.  The  same;  our  First  day  meeting  large,  consi- 
dering the  bad  travelling,  but  I  was  too  idle  and  shackling  in 
spirit  to  earn  any  thing;  I  therefore  came  from  meeting  as  I 
went,  poor,  and  forced  to  be  content  with  my  wages. 

4:th.  The  same  as  seventeen  years  ago,  rain  and  snow.  I 
forgot  to  mention  in  its  proper  place,  that  I  had  an  invitation 
to  the  funeral  of  the  wife  of  John  Smith,  of  Upper  Makefield, 
whose  funeral  I  attended  the  last  day  of  the  last  year.  It  was 
to  me  a  satisfactory  opportunity.  Next  day  there  came  to  my 
house  a  stranger  from  the  western  part  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  He  appeared  to  me  to  be  one  of  those  wrong  headed, 
if  not  wrong  hearted  enthusiasts,  who  had  been  once  precious- 
ly visited  with  the  day-spring  from  on  high,  but  was  now 
splitting  on  the  fatal  rock  of  self-righteousness.  Oh  !  my  soul 
be  aware  of  that  fatal  rock. 

bth  and  6^/^.  Nothing  worthy  of  particular  notice. 

7tJi.  Our  Monthly  Meeting,  held  at  Makefield ;  a  very  rainy 
day  and  bad  roads ;  notwithstanding,  Friends  turned  out  pretty 
well.  I  spoke  in  the  first  meeting,  and  an  eider  made  some 
remarks,  which  I  thought  he  had  better  let  alone,  and  as  he 
had  so  frequently  spoken,  even  in  our  meetings  for  worship, 
apparently  reflecting  upon  Gr.  F.  W.,  and  myself,  for  saying 


232 

hard  things,  without  ever  sj^eaking  to  me  privately,  I  was  led 
in  the  Monthly  Meeting  to  give  forth  something  like  a  public 
reproof  of  such  conduct,  which  I  find  met  with  the  approba- 
tion of  Friends  generally. 

Sth  and  Qth.  Spent  in  my  shop.  It  seems  a  pity  that  my 
business  should  be  of  such  a  character  as  to  be  of  no  real  use 
to  any  body  but  myself,  being  the  only  way  that  I  can  get  an 
honest  living. 

10th.  First  day;  a  large  meeting  for  a  stormy  day,  and  a 
sad  catastrophe  was  nigh  taking  place.  Our  aged  friends, 
Benjamin  and  Martha  Schofield,  were  coming  to  meeting  with 
their  daughter-in-law,  Lydia,  and  three  children,  in  the  car- 
riage, with  them;  when  near  the  entrance  of  the  meeting 
house  yard,  the  horses  took  fright  and  ran  away,  and  coming 
in  contact  with  a  tree,  which  stands  as  gate  post,  the  carriage 
was  dashed  to  pieces,  and  the  old  folks  were  considerably  hurt, 
and  it  is  a  wonderful  thing  they  were  not  killed.  Oh  !  the 
uncertainty  of  time;  "In  the  midst  of  life,  we  may  be  nigh 
unto  death. ^'  Notwithstanding  the  above  circumstance,  we 
had  a  pretty  comfoi-table  meeting,  which  might  have  been 
more  so  if  I  had  kept  silent. 

llfh,  12fh  and  ISfh.  Diligent  in  business,  but  not  fervent 
in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord,  and  therefore,  like  the  heath  in  the 
desert,  a  fear  attends  my  mind,  lest  I  should  lose  that  child- 
like, tender  state,  that  I  have  so  much  desired  to  be  found  in. 

14:tJi.  Our  midweek  meeting,  pretty  well  attended,  but  a  low 
time  with  poor  me.  But  I  am  receiving  the  due  reward  of  my 
deeds,  for  I  have  certainly  lacked  that  fervency  of  spirit  which 
becomes  a  Christian. 

Ibth  and  IQfh.  At  work  in  my  shop,  with  nothing  worth 
noticing,  but  a  dry,  barren  sense  of  my  infirmities. 

17  th.  First  day;  a  cold,  raw,  unpleasant  feeling  in  the  air; 
predisposing  to  chill.  Notwithstanding,  our  meeting  was  quite 
large,  and  to  me  a  precious  good  time,  for  I  was  favored  to  be 
silent,  and  to  be  an  humble  suppliant  for  mercy  and  goodness', 
to  save  my  poor  soul ;  for,  alas  !  I  have  no  merit — no  works 
of  righteousness  of  my  own,  and  therefore,  if  I  be  saved,  it 
will  be  according  to  the  mercy  of  a  Saviour,  who  will  wash 
my  poor  filthy  soul  in  the  laver  of  regeneration.  A  few  words 
from  J.  M.  S.  seemed  to  increase  the  solemnity,  which, 
I  fear,  was  preached  all  away  by  a  silly  little  woman,  a 
stranger. 


233 

19 tL  I  yesterday  met  with  the  great  Lord  Jeffrey's  review 
of  Clarkson's  Portraiture  of  Qaakerism.  This  nobleman,  I 
suppose,  is  considered  at  the  head  of  the  British  critics,  and 
is  a  tory  judge  of  the  Scottish  sessions,  and  if  I  may  be  per- 
mitted to  add  my  own  supposition,  a  disciple  of  the  great 
Lord  Bolingbroke.  With  this  view  of  this  great  wit,  we  can 
appreciate  the  full  value  of  his  criticisms  on  the  people  called 
Quakers.  His  severe  strictures  on  the  author  of  the  Portrait- 
ure, I  am  perhaps  too  willing  to  wink  at,  in  consequence  of  a 
prejudice  against  that  old  clergyman,  for  wheedling  Friends  in 
England  out  of  money  to  educate  his  son  for  a  hireling  priest. 
But  his  paraphrase  on  the  customs  and  doctrines  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  is,  in  my  opinion,  one  of  the  weakest  and  most  insig- 
nificant pieces  of  criticism  I  ever  remember  to  have  seen  from 
any  of  their  enemies.  And,  moreover,  it  appears  to  me  not 
only  weak,  but  absolutely  false,  as  respects  William  Penn  and 
his  friends  in  Pennsylvania.  I  will  not  pretend  to  say  that 
some  of  his  remarks  would  not  justly  apply  to  some  gloomy, 
melancholy  Englishman,  in  the  dark  month  of  November, 
when  his  mind,  like  the  atmosphere  with  which  he  is  surround- 
ed, is  so  dark  and  murky  that  the  Devil  is  tempting  him  to 
sell  his  Saviour  for  money,  while  he  preaches  up  prudence 
and  charity  in  a  language  like  this,  "  Why  was  this  waste  of 
the  ointment  made ;"  ''for  it  might  have  been  sold  for  more 
than  three  hundred  pence  and  have  been  given  to  the  poor;'^ 
not  that  he  has  any  Christian  sympathy  for  the  poor,  but  be- 
cause he  has  turned  away  his  ear  from  hearing  God's  holy 
law,  and  has  taken  usury  and  increase,  and  greedily  gained 
of  his  neighbor  by  extortion,  and  has  forgotten  the  Lord  God. 
Such  English  Quakers  as  these,  together  with  a  few  fanatics, 
whose  madness  was  produced  by  the  despotism  of  priestcraft, 
and  kingcraft,  may  lie  exposed  to  the  scoffing  sneers  and  flim- 
sy sophistry  of  such  enemies  as  Jeffrey,  but  that  such  insigni- 
ficant quibbling  can  have  any  effect  upon  the  well  established 
character  of  the  religious  Society  of  Friends,  in  the  land  of 
the  illustrious  Penn,  a  land  where  their  pure  republican  prin- 
ciples are  cherished  and  encouraged,  by  so  mild  and  generous 
a  government,  which  recognises  no  ecclesiastical  tyranny,  I 
cannot  believe.  I  think  I  have  had  as  good  a  chance  of 
knowing  the  Society  of  Friends  on  this  continent  as  any  other 
man  now  living,  having  had  a  free  and  friendly  intercourse 

20* 


234 

with  all  classes  for  more  than  sixty  years,  and  I  have  ever  con- 
sidered them  the  most  happy,  cheerful  and  reasonable  part  of 
the  human  family;  carefully  avoiding  the  bad  extremes  of 
civilized  life;  the  music,  dancing,  and  war  si^irit  of  the  civil- 
ized savage,  and  the  monkish  gloom  of  the  hireling  anchorite 
and  begging  friar ;  they  fill  with  propriety  all  those  social  and 
relative  duties  of  life  that  conduce  to  the  substantial  happi- 
ness of  mankind.  But  I  am  free  to  confess  that  wherever  the 
Devil  has  pei*suaded  individuals  to  sell  their  Saviour  for  mo- 
ney, and  their  children  have  come  under  the  influence  of 
critical  noblemen,  and  hireling  priests,  these  emissaries  of 
Satan  have  left  the  print  of  their  dirty  fingers  on  their  fair 
character. 

I  wonder  that  the  noble  Lord  had  not  remembered  when  he 
sneeringly  charges  George  Fox  with  insanity,  in  direct  oppo- 
sition to  the  testimony  of  William  Penn,  who  was  Jeffrey^s 
superior  in  every  thing  but  insignificant  wit,  that  a  more  hon- 
orable and  consistent  nobleman  brought  the  same  charge  against 
the  apostle  Paul,  and  that  the  prototypes  of  both  of  them,  the 
Sadducian  Jews,  cast  the  same  reproach  in  the  teeth  of  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.  But  it  is  much  more  convenient  for  a 
light  '^  feather'^  of  a  wit  to  charge  an  honest,  good  man  with 
insanity,  than  to  withstand  the  power  of  eternal  truth  with 
which  he  is  clothed.  Therefore,  I  conclude  that  Jeffrey  knows 
but  little  about  the  blessed  truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  that 
his  sneering  criticism  and  flimsy  sophistry,  are  a  full  and  am- 
ple proof  of  his  ignorance.  Were  honest  George  Fox,  as  he 
sneeringly  calls  him,  now  living,  he  might  be  moved  to  write 
to  him,  as  he  did  to  Adam  Sands,  a  wicked,  false  hearted  man^ 
who  wonld  have  destroyed  both  truth  and  Friends  :  "  Thou 
child  of  the  Devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  in  the 
light  thou  art  comprehended,  and  in  the  light  thou  art  con- 
demned.^^ Or  were  the  apostle  Paul  to  meet  with  him,  he 
might  address  him  to  his  face  as  he  did  such  a  character 
formerly,  '^  Oh  !  full  of  all  subtility,  and  all  mischief,  thou 
child  of  the  Devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  how  long 
ere  thou  wilt  cease  to  pervert  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord ; 
thou  hast  no  lot  or  part  in  the  Christian  religion,  for  I  per- 
ceive thou  art  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  bond  of  iniquity.^' 
With  these  few  unpleasant  remarks,  I  bid  Francis  Jeffrey  fare- 
well, and  in  the  language  of  dear  old  George  Fox,  say,  "  if 


285 

ever  thine  eye  seest  repentance,  thou  wilt  know  me  to  be  a 
lover  of  thy  soul/' 

ISth,  Idth,  and  20th.  Devoted  steadily  to  my  business  in 
the  shop. 

21st.  Our  midweek  meeting.  A  solemn,  silent  opportunity, 
in  which  my  poor  soul  was  favored  with  the  spirit  of  prayer,  in 
which  I  was  led  to  feel  deeply  for  my  sick  neighbor,  particular- 
ly a  young  mother,  now  very  ill  with  consumption.  There  was 
something  peculiarly  solemn  and  tendering  in  my  feelings  for 
this  dear  young  woman.  She  will  leave  an  infant  son,  as  my 
dear  mother  left  me ;  and  oh  !  that  her  dying  prayers  may  be 
like  hers.  I  may  here  venture  to  express  some  of  my  feelings 
in  relation  to  such  cases  as  above  referred  to,  of  young  people, 
particularly  young  women,  dying  with  pulmonary  consumption. 

I  confess  that  it  is  paradoxical  to  me,  how  a  young  woman 
can  have  a  fine  healthy  child,  and  that  child  improve  and  grow 
on  its  mother's  milk,  and  that  mother  at  the  same  time  dying 
with  consumption.  But  I  think  I  can  understand  that  the  ap- 
plication of  a  blister  to  such  a  mother's  breast  or  side  would 
have  a  direct  tendency  to  dry  up  her  milk ;  and  if  there  was  on- 
ly a  predisposition  to  the  disease,  give  it  all  the  advantage  to 
finish  its  work  with  rapidity.  In  the  present  case,  her  father 
being  a  physician  would  do  what  he  thought  right,  and  it 
would  be  presumption  in  me  to  call  his  treatment  in  question. 
But  I  must  take  the  liberty  to  write  here  that  which  I  think, 
that  scientific  doctors,  and  scientific  priests,  often  do  more  hurt 
than  good  to  body  and  soul,  and  are  a  shameful  imposition  on 
the  people;  and  that  Thompsonian  quacks  and  interloping 
preachers  are  no  better. 

22d  and  2Sd.  Very  unwell.  Notwithstanding  which,  I 
worked  all  Sixth  day,  but  laid  by  on  Seventh.  Last  evening 
the  young  woman  before  alluded  to  died,  after  severe  sufferings 
of  body  and  mind.  She  was  brought  under  a  deep  concern  and 
exercise  for  her  everlasting  welfare,  and  sent  for  her  priest  to 
pray  for  her,  and  although  I  fear  the  prescriptions  of  the  super- 
ficial doctor  of  divinity,  like  the  doctor  of  medicine,  did  more 
hurt  than  good,  I  rejoiced  in  the  belief  that  she  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  Heavenly  Physician,  where  I  had  been  commend- 
ing her  on  the  bended  knee  of  my  soul,  the  day  before  she 
died.  I  say  I  rejoiced,  and  was  comforted  and  encouraged  in 
believing  that  my  secret,  heartfelt  prayers  were  acceptable  in 


236 

the  Divine  sight,  and  that  her  precious  soul  has  found  a  mansion 
of  undisturbed  repose  in  the  paradise  of  God. 

24:th.  First  day ;  very  unwell,  hardly  able  to  make  fire  and 
get  the  meeting  house  ready  for  the  people,  and  then  hardly 
able  to  attend  ;  but  I  did,  and  that  is  not  the  worst  of  it,  I 
spoke,  and  I  fear  hurt  the  meeting,  as  well  as  myself.  A  week 
ago  I  made  a  record,  that  a  poor  little  negatively  innocent,  or 
insignificantly  wicked  woman,  I  feared,  preached  away  the  life 
of  the  meeting.  Had  a  record  been  written  yesterday  after- 
noon by  some  of  the  sufferers,  it  might  have  been  like  this  : 
the  meeting  was  very  much  hurt  by  a  lifeless  communication 
from  a  poor,  ignorant  negatively  wicked  old  man  in  his  dotage, 
who  notwithstanding  has  too  high  a  conceit  of  himself.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  I  felt  myself  I  thought  grow  weaker  and  weak- 
er, and  went  to  bed  crying  and  praying,  that  I  might  live  one 
more  day  like  a  Christian. 

2dth.  My  prayer  was  heard,  and  I  have  spent  one  day  in 
perfect  peace  without  condemnation.  Oh  !  that  my  watchful 
dependance  on  my  blessed  Saviour  may  continue. 

2Qth.  Another  day  in  watchfulness  and  peace. 

27 til.  A  pretty  comfortable  day,  but  the  mirror  of  peace  was 
once  disturbed  by  passion. 

2Sth,  29th,  ^Oth.  Peaceable  and  happy  days.  Notwithstand- 
ing my  indisposition  the  two  last,  I  worked  a  little  in  the  shop. 

31s^  First  day  ;  our  meeting  pretty  large,  though  not  very 
satisfactory  to  me,  and  I  think  it  is  most  likely  to  some  others, 
fori  thought  it  my  duty  to  deliver  an  unpleasant  testimony.  I 
was  very  feeble,  having  exhausted  my  little  strength  in  getting 
the  house  ready  for  meeting;  so  that  having  but  little  life  and 
less  strength,  I  fear  I  made  but  a  lifeless,  weak  concern  of  it. 
Dear  E.  S.,  helped  the  meeting  with  a  lively,  strengthening 
communication. 

2d  month  1st.  Though  still  feeble,  I  could  work  a  little  in  my 
shop. 

2d  and  8^.  Still  better  and  thankful  for  the  favor  of  being 
preserved ;  diligent  in  business,  and  fervent  in  spirit. 

4:th.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  held  at  Newtown.  The  silent 
part  of  it  was,  I  thought,  a  strengthening,  encouraging  oppor- 
tunity;  but  a  dull  lecture  from  one  of  our  self-righteous  re- 
formers, appeared  to  me  to  obstruct  the  life,  which  however 
seemed  to  return  to  us  in  reading  and  answering  the  queries.  I 


237 

was  invited  to  the  funeral  of  Samuel  Buckman,  a  very  aged 
man,  and  the  last  of  the  children,  even  by  marriage,  of  that 
distinguished  minister  of  the  gospel,  Joseph  White,  of  the  Falls. 
In  the  evening  of  this  day  of  favor,  was  made  doubly  thank- 
ful for  the  safe  return  of  my  dear  Isaac  and  Elizabeth,  from  a 
visit  to  their  brother  and  sister  in  New  York,  with  the  report 
that  all  was  well. 

bth  and  Qtli.  Busy  in  my  shop.  On  Seventh  day  afternoon, 
went  to  Isaac  Parry's ;  almost  too  much  for  me.  Just  before  I 
started,  was  invited  to  the  funeral  of  a  Friend,  by  the  name  of 
Rose,  in  Solebury;  was  not  able  to  go— Ah  !  how  soon  there 
will  be  an  invitation  to  my  funeral.  I  likewise  had  a  solemn 
word  of  exhortation  from  a  youngish  woman,  who  appeared  to 
bo  partially  deranged.  She  has  undertaken  to  visit  the  families  of 
our  Monthly  Meeting.  Her  father  and  she  came  together.  They 
both  appeared  to  be  angry  at  me,  the  first  for  preaching  against 
usury,  and  the  other  for  publishing  some  strictures  against 
wrong-headed  enthusiasts ;  especially  such  as  will  not  comply 
with  the  order  and  discipline  of  Society,  and  not  rising  in  the 
time  of  prayer.  I  treated  her  with  tenderness,  though  she  was 
very  hard :  but  perhaps  it  was  all  right. 

1th.  First  day  ;  attended  Horsham  Meeting ;  it  was  very 
large  in  consequence  of  much  notice  being  spread  that  a  minis- 
ter from  the  western  part  of  our  State  would  be  there.  I  think 
he  spoke  more  than  two  hours,  and  I  verily  thought  it  an  his- 
torical lecture,  which,  had  the  speaker  been  eloquent,  might 
have  been  more  interesting.  I  suffered  in  body  and  mind. 
I  was  disappointed,  for  I  was  in  hopes  I  could  have  another 
sweet  silent  meeting  at  Horsham  ;  but  I  must  be  content  to 
suffer,  and  oh  !  that  it  may  be  for  Christ's  sake. 

^tli,  9th,  10th.  Industriously  engaged  at  my  business,  but 
not  without  some  failure  in  religious  care  and  strict  attention  to 
the  truth,  which  I  quibbliDgly  avoid'ed  in  a  very  trifling  circum- 
stance, and  felt  condemnation.  Was  invited  to  the  funeral  of 
Susan  Stapler,  but  did  not  go,  being  feeble  in  body  and  mind, 
and  having  no  special  commandment  from  the  Divine  Master. 

11th,  Our  midweek  meeting.  I  could  only  get  a  little  crumb 
of  bread,  the  loaf  was  so  tossed  about  by  our  preachers.  One 
youngish  woman,  who  is  paying  a  kind  of  running  visit  to  our 
families,  spoke  I  think  five  or  six  times,  and  apppeared  once  in 
prayer,  with  four  other  communications  from  our  own  mem- 
bers.    In  the  afternoon  attended  the  wedding  of  J.  L.,  and 


238 

A.  S.  They  were'married  according  to  the  new  discipline ;  not- 
withstanding which,  it  was  to  me  an  interesting  opportunity. 
The  young  people  spoke  I  think,  the  best  I  ever  heard. 

12th  and  13M.  At  work  in  ray  shop  in  peace  and  quietness. 

lAth.  First  day;  a  pretty  large  meeting,  and  to  me  the  first 
part  was  precious,  my  soul  being  perniitted  to  enter  the  house 
of  silent  prayer.  The  religious  solemnity  might  have  been  bet- 
ter preserved,  could  I  have  remained  silent ;  but  our  dear 
little  E.  S.,  I  thought  gave  us  a  sweet  little  communication. 
In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  very  large  meeting,  for  W  M.; 
but  being  worn  out  by  getting  the  house  ready  for  meetings  and 
so  very  feeble  both  in  body  and  mind,  I  staid  at  home,  and  let 
all  my  family  go.  There  was  much  complaining  with  some,  of 
the  man's  long  speaking;  and  I  fear  it  was  too  much  like  some 
of  my  great  preaching,  as  the  people  were  pleased  to  call  it ; 
too  much  the  product  of  a  cloven  tongue  as  of  fire,  and  if  so  in 
addition  to  a  subtle,  selfish  desire  to  get  subscribers  to  a  book, 
the  great  preacher  is  in  a  sad  condition ;  and  certainly  needs 
to  be  possessed  of  Paul's  concern — a  godly  care,  lest  while  he 
is  preaching  to  others,  he  himself  becomes  a  castaway.  But  let 
me  remember  that  it  was  only  twenty-one  years  ago,  that  Ed- 
ward Hicks  was  preaching  in  the  neighborhood  of  poor  old  Rich- 
ard Jordan,  then  on  his  death  bed,  and  according  to  the  state- 
ments of  his  friends,  crying  out  *' Oh  cannot  there  be  some 
way  to  stop  such  unsound  preachers  ?"  Now  as  I  have  taken 
the  liberty  to  fear  that  that  once  highly  favored  minister,  died  in 
a  bad  state  of  mind;  would  it  not  be  profitable  to  extend  that 
fear  in  a  godly  manner  over  myself  ?  and  remember  seriously 
the  late  exhortation  of  A.  A.  P.,  when  visiting  the  families  of 
our  Monthly  Meeting;  "Thou  hast  been  joined  to  a  company  of 
angels  and  just  men  made  perfect,  and  canst  thou  not  dis- 
tinguish between  the  precious  and  the  vile — art  thou  not  still 
in  danger  of  the  sentence,  go  ye  cursed  into  everlasting  fire, 
prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels  ?"  Although  I  feared  at 
the  time  the  dear  young  women  was  a  fanatic,  which  has  been 
confirmed  by  her  subsequent  conduct ;  yet  I  ought  to  remember 
that  a  dumb  ass  was  once  made  use  of  to  reprove  the  back-slid- 
ing of  a  once  highly  favored  prophet.  At  the  close  of  the  af- 
ternoon meeting,  one  of  our  cunning,  selfish,  wise,  political, 
prudent  men  of  the  world,  and  one  of  the  excellent  of  the 
earth,  mark,  "  of  the  earth,  earthy,"  gave  public  notice  that  a 
meeting  would  be  held  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  alms  for 


239 

the  poor  in  Ireland.  I  am  glad  I  was  not  present,  for  notwith- 
standing there  had  been  a  great  deal  of  preaching,  I  should 
have  been  tempted  to  add  aa  extract  from  Christ's  sermon  on 
the  mount  j  *^  Take  heed  that  ye  do  not  your  alms  before  men, 
to  be  seen  of  them,  otherwise  you  have  no  reward  of  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.  Therefore  when  thou  doest  thine 
alms  do  not  sound  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypocrites  do, 
in  the  synagogue,  &c.''  I  say  I  am  glad  I  was  not  there,  for  I 
should  have  given  offence,  and  perhaps  done  no  good ;  for  it 
seems  that  even  Friends  are  determined  not  to  '^exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees." 

I  heard  asserted  in  the  same  house  where  the  notice  had  been 
given  of  the  Irish  meeting, — and  that  too,  by  a  professed  Qua- 
ker preacher  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, — that  a  certain  Ro- 
man Catholic  priest  in  Ireland  had  done  greater  works  than  ever 
Jesus  had  done.  I  cannot  help  wondering  what  has  be- 
come of  that  wonderful  Catholic  priest,  and  why  he'  is  not 
now  exerting  his  wonderful  power  in  keeping  his  countrymen 
from  starving  to  death.  We  are  told  that  the  blessed  Jesus 
had  so  much  sympathy  for  hungry  people,  who  had  come  some 
distance  from  their  homes  to  attend  one  of  his  meetings,  that  he 
would  not  suffer  his  disciples  to  send  them  away  without  giv- 
ing them  something  to  eat;  and  there  happeningto  be  a  lad  in 
his  company  who  had  five  barley  loaves  of  bread,  and  two  or 
three  fishes,  with  these,  he  fed  five  thousand  men,  besides 
women  and  children,  and  had  twelve  baskets  full  of  fragments 
left.  This  is  recorded  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  we  old 
fashioned  Christians  believe  every  word  of  it.  Now  I  can- 
not help  asking,  where  is  that  wonderful  Roman  Catholic 
priest,  the  idol  of  certain  professional  Quakers?  Can  it  be  pos- 
sible that  he  and  his  quondam  friend,  O'Connel,  have  been 
wheedling  their  poor  weak  countrymen  out  of  their  money  to 
support  them  in  the  costume,  equipage  and  luxury  of  fine 
gentlemen  of  the  world,  and  now  are  not  exerting  their  won- 
derful power  to  save  their  countrymen  from  starvation  !  Why, 
if  the  reverend  gentleman  can  do  greater  works  than  Jesus 
Christ,  would  it  be  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  he  now  might 
be  feeding  the  poor  starving  Irish,  at  the  rate  of  ten  thousand 
men,  besides  women  and  children,  with  ten  loaves  of  bread  and 
five  fishes,  which  would  soon  bring  down  the  price  of  Ameri- 
can produce,  and   supercede  the  need  of  building  more  vessels 


240 

CO  carry  it.  But  enough  of  this,  for  I  have  been  reading  a 
wonderful  account  in  a  Quaker  paper  of  the  sufferings  in  Ire- 
land, and  it  appears  they  forgot,to  tell  us  that  the  Catholic 
priest  had  sold  his  fine  gentleman's  dress,  and  was  appropriating 
the  money,  together  with  what  he  had  been  getting  for  silver 
shrines  for  Diana, — no,  no  ;  I  mistake,  pewter  medals  for  tem- 
perance,— to  purchase  barley  loves  of  bread  for  his  poor  starv- 
ing countrymen ;  and  that  O'Connel  has  sold  his  splendid 
coach  and  fine  dapple  greys,  and  is,  in  company  with  the  Rev- 
erend Father,  spending  the  money,  with  the  thousands  he  has 
been  getting  from  men,  women  and  children,  to  buy  bread 
for  his  starving  countrymen.  I  say,  perhaps,  the  Quaker  pa- 
per has  forgot  to  show  us  this  pleasant  side  of  the  picture, 
and  that  it  may  come  next  week.  But,  alas  !  the  subject  mat- 
ter before  me  is  of  too  serious  a  character  for  irony  or 
sarcasm,  and  therefore  I  had  better  recall  some  of  my  re- 
marks/ 

But  I  am  perplexed  and  worried  with  the  acts  and  sayings 
of  some  of  my  friends,  for  I  remember  that  in  addition  to  the 
declaration  of  the  old  popular  minister,  that  the  Catholic  priest 
had  done  greater  works  than  Jesus  Christ, — a  young  conceited 
bantling  of  a  Quaker  preacher,  justified  and  united  with 
Daniel  O'Connel's  abuse  of  George  Washington  about  his 
slaves,  whose  every  comfort  and  enjoyment  was  almost  infinite- 
ly superior  to  those  of  his  own  degraded  and  wretched  country- 
men. Indeed  my  soul  is  grieved  and  disgusted  with  the 
vain,  empty  boasts  of  proud  impious  England,  reiterated  by 
weak,  superficial,  apostate  Americans,  who,  I  fear,  can  be  hired 
for  almost  any  wages,  to  get  up  a  begging  mania  to  feed  their 
wretched  poor,  while  their  priests  may  continue  to  be  worshipped, 
and  their  lordly  clergy,  pampered  nobility,  and  avaricious 
money-mongers,  continue  their  blood-sucking  system  in  exact- 
ing the  utmost  farthing  to  keep  such  abominable  hypocrites 
wallowing  in  wealth  and  luxury.  And  should  the  working 
poor  manfully  attempt  to  redress  their  own  grievances,  the 
standing  armies  are  commanded  to  murder  them  by  thou- 
sands as  rebels,  turning  the  remnant,  like  paupers,  over  to 
America,  to  be  fed  and  clothed  by  the    abused  slave-holders. 

Ah  !  poor,  worthy  English  operatives — I  have  loved  you, 
I  have  sympathised  with  you  j  I   have  prayed  for  you  ever 


241 

since  I  heard  from  the  mouth  of  that  excellent  female  minister, 
E.  C,  of  New  York,  the  following  affecting  circumstance 
which  she  was  a  sorrowful  witness  of.  She  said,  in  substance, 
that  when  she  was  in  Ireland,  near  fifty  years  ago,  after  being 
at  a  Friends'  meeting  in  a  certain  town,  she  was  invited  to  dine 
with  a  wealthy  Friend.  She  had  not  been  long  in  the  house 
before  she  was  sent  for  to  visit  a  poor  sick  neighbor  at  the  point 
of  death.  She  was  introduced  into  the  most  miserable  hovel 
that  she  had  ever  seen — and  mark,  she  was  a  citizen  of  New 
York,  and  in  the  practice  of  visiting  the  sick  and  poor, — -where 
she  beheld  on  a  bed  of  straw,  something  like  the  skeleton  of  a 
man  in  the  last  stage  of  starvation,  whose  only  attendant  was 
a  daughter  about  eighteen,  whose  pale,  emaciated  form,  loudly 
proclaimed  that  she  was  following  her  father  to  the  gates  of 
death.  Indeed,  if  I  recollect  rightly,  the  poor  girl  told  my 
friend  she  had  only  eaten  one  potatoe  in  the  last  twenty -four 
hours.  I  need  not  tell  any  more,  although  it  would  be  highly 
honorable  to  the  Christian  feelings  of  the  dear  Friend  whom  I 
love  as  a  precious  sister  in  Christ.  Suffice  it  to  say,  there  is 
abundant  evidence  that  the  sufiTerings  of  the  poor  Irish  are  not 
peculiar  to  1846-7,  though  they  now  may  be  increased  by  the 
failure  of  some  of  their  crops.  But  their  exaggerated  suffer- 
ings having  now  the  advantage  of  a  popular  mania,  almost  pe- 
culiar to  America,  it  will  for  a  while,  make  a  great  sound,  if 
it  can  be  fed  with  puffs  innumerable  in  the  newspapers,  afford- 
ing an  opportunity  for  doggerel  poets  to  convert  trumpetting 
hypocrites  into  angels,  and  newspaper  scribblers  and  political 
office-hunters  into  saints ;  while  the  humble,  consistent  be- 
liever in  Jesus  Christ,  in  that  faith  that  works  by  love,  silently 
and  quietly  obeys  his  commandment,  "  But  when  thou  dost 
thine  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand 
doeth;  that  thy  alms  may  be  in  secret,  and  thy  father 
which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee  openly.^'  With  such 
humble,  consistent,  unpretending  Christians,  I  would  freely 
unite,  and,  poor  as  I  am,  throw  in  my  two  mites,  not  doubting 
but  that  an  easy  and  quiet  channel  could  be  found  to  convey 
our  contributions  to  the  real  sufferers  in  Ireland. 

Ibth,  IQtJi,  and  17th.  Busy  in  my  shop,  trying  to  walk 
honestly  towards  those  who  are  watching  me,  that  they  may 
not  have  wherewith  to  accuse  me  before  the  brethren.  I 
am  furnished  from  time  to  time  with  renewed  evidence  that  it 

21 


242 

was  right  for  me  to  publish  my  little  book,  especially  in  the 
manner  I  did,  giving  it  away.  I  am.  satisfied  it  will  promote 
the  cause  of  truth  as  professed  by  religious  Friends,  and  that 
encourages  me,  for  I  love  religious  Friends. 

ISth.  Our  Preparative  meeting;  I  thought  I  got  a  little 
heavenly  bread  near  the  close,  although  I  was  so  shackling  in 
my  mind  that  it  was  very  little  that  I  deserved.  I  had  an 
opportunity  I  long  wished  for  with  M.  S,,  a  daughter  of  my 
dear  deceased  friend  H.  and  J.  J.  I  sorrowfully  thought  her 
self-righteousness  and  religious  consequence  was  marked  in  the 
lines  and  configuration  of  her  face ;  and  as  she  had  anticipated 
the  interview,  she  was  prepared  to  tell  me  how  much  her  fa- 
ther had  done  for  me.  But  I  had  forgot  that  I  ever  stood  in 
need  of  her  father's  assistance  to  put  me  forward,  for  I  was  in 
the  station  of  a  recommended  minister,  and  passing  for  more 
than  I  was  worth  before  I  was  acquainted  with  her  father,  who,  I 
believe,  was  not  then  in  the  station  of  an  elder,  though  a  very  kind 
common  Friend.  I  tried  to  give  her  the  advice  and  counsel 
that  dear  old  Oliver  Paxson  gave  me  when  young  in  the  mi- 
nistry— to  keep  in  the  bosom  of  her  friends  at  home,  and  not 
be  under  foreign  influence,  and  then  her  friends  would  carry 
her  in  her  infancy  in  their  arms ;  but  if  she  suffered  her- 
self to  be  under  the  influence  of  that  cunning  artful  L.  M.;, 
and  a  faction  in  Philadelphia,  that  she  would  be  in  disunity 
with  her  Monthly  Meeting.  I  told  her  that  I  felt  it  my  duty 
to  deliver  that  message  to  ber,  and  that  I  had  tried  to  save  her 
brother  from  the  same  faction,  and  hoped  I  would  now  be 
better  prepared  to  meet  the  glorified  spirits  of  her  dear  father  and 
mother  in  an  awful  eternity.  But  alas !  I  fear  in  the  case 
now  before  me,  the  saying  of  the  blessed  Saviour  is  applicable  : 
"  The  whole  need  not  the  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick. 
The  Son  of  Mary  came  not  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to 
repentance.^'  But  perhaps  I  am  influenced  by  prejudice  and 
wrong  feelings ;  the  Searcher  of  hearts  only  knows. 

19th  and  20th.     Spent  in  attention  to  my  business. 

21st.  First  day — a  very  stormy  day,  and  a  small,  but  com- 
fortable meeting, 

22c?.  A  high  day  with  some  of  our  political  companies  in 
consequence  of  its  being  Washington's  birth-day.  Forty-seven 
years  ago,  I  too  participated  in  this  festival,  and  marched  in  the 
ranks  as  a  soldier.     Alas  !  where  are  my  comrades  and  fellow- 


243 

soldiers  ?  Gone  !  gone — '^  Oh  !  eternity — eternity,  thou  dread- 
ful—awful thought."  One  poor,  unworthy  wretch  is  left  a 
monument  of  adorable  mercy. 

2od.  Spent  too  much  in  idleness,  with  this  language  sound- 
ing in  the  ears  of  my  soul  :  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  idle, 
shackling  Christian,  no  more  than  a  fighting  Christian. 

24:th.  Our  select  Quarterly  Meeting  held  at  Wrightstown  ; 
a  solid  encouraging  opportunity. 

25^/i.  The  general  Quarterly  Meeting;  a  very  snowy  morn- 
ing. Notwithstanding  the  meeting  was  well  attended,  and 
conducted  with  more  propriety  than  has  been  usual  for  several 
years.  An  encouraging  time,  though  it  was  my  lot  to  suffer 
in  silence  without  one  crumb  of  heavenly  bread. 

26*;/^  Received  this  evening  from  a  very  wealthy,  respecta- 
ble Orthodox  Friend,  an  account  of  the  life,  death  and  burial 
of  that  distinguished  Quaker  preacher,  Joseph  John  Grurney, 
of  Norwich,  in  England,  a  man  of  princely  fortune,  and  great 
scholastic  education  ,  the  possessor  and  inhabitant  of  Earldom 
Hall,  the  palace  of  the  once  great  Lord  Bacon. 

The  pamphlet  appears  to  have  been  written  by  a  priest,  or 
one  of  their  satellites,  probably  a  catch-penny  newspaper  scrib- 
bler; be  that  as  it  may,  after  reading  said  pamphlet,  I  went  to 
bed  sorrowful  and  discouraged,  tempted  to  call  in  question 
what  I  had  thought  was  to  me  most  sacred  and  clear,  my  early 
impressions  in  favor  of  the  precepts  and  example  of  Jesus 
Christ,  who  I  verily  thought  was  Grod  manifest  in  the  flesh, 
the  great  head  of  the  Christian  church,  and  pattern  of  ever- 
lasting righteousness.  Alas  !  I  was  ready  to  say  for  poor  me, 
I  have  had  wealth  and  scholastic  education  both  offered  to 
me,  and  refused  them,  and  now  what  am  I  but  a  poor  ignorant 
mortal,  reduced  to  this  sad  conclusion,  that  the  record  of  the 
New  Testament  was  not  the  sayings  of  eternal  truth,  or  this 
idolized  Quaker  preacher  was  no  Christian  or  follower  of 
Jesus  Christ,  no  more  than  the  Bishop  of  Durham  or  Dublin. 

27th.  Arose  this  morning  refreshed  with  sleep,  but  so  light 
in  my  spirit  as  to  think  of  Pope's  pertinent  remarks : 
"  'Tis  from  high  life  high  characters  are  drawn, 
A  saint  in  crape  is  twice  a  saint  in  lawn.'' 

After  attending  to  what  I  consider  my  daily  duties,  reading 
a  portion  of  the  New  Testament,  I  was  led  into  secret,  silent, 
and  I  trust,  fervent  and  effectual  prayer,  that  I  might  not  be 


244 

deceived.  When  it  appeared  to  open  with  clearness  that  the 
sayings  of  our  blessed  Saviour  are  the  testimonies  of  eternal, 
unchangeable  truth,  and  the  standard  of  everlasting  righteous- 
ness, and  his  humble,  lowly  cross  the  only  way  to  the  crown. 
And  if  I  understand  him,  he  compared  his  true  followers  to  a 
poor  beggar,  and  nominal  professors  to  a  certain  rich  man, 
who  was  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptu- 
ously every  day,  and  says  there  was  a  certain  beggar  named 
Lazarus,  that  was  laid  at  his  gate  full  of  sores,  desiring  to  be 
fed  with  the  crumbs  that  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table — 
moreover,  the  dogs  came  and  licked  his  sores.  And  it  came 
to  pass  that  the  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by  the  angels  into 
Abraham's  bosom.  The  rich  man  also  died,  and  was  buried, 
and  in  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torment^  and  seeing 
Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazai-us  in  his  bosom  -,  he  cried,  fether 
Abraham,  have  mercy  on  me,  and  send  Lazarus  that  he  may 
dip  the  tip  of  his  finger  in  water  and  cool  my  tongue,  for  i 
am  tormented  in  this  flame.  But  Abraham  said,  son  remem- 
ber that  thou,  in  thy  life  time,  received  thy  good  things,  and 
Lazarus  his  evil  things,  but  now  he  is  comforted  and  thou  art 
tormented.  Awful  query  !  which  is  the  best  likeness  of  J.  J. 
Gr.,  the  rich  man  or  Lazarus. 

In  confirmation  of  the  above,  we  have  the  Divine  Saviour 
saying  most  emphatically,  "  Wo  unto  you  that  are  rich,  for 
you  have  received  your  consolation.''  "It  is  easier  for  a  camel 
to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  "For  those  things  that  are 
highly  esteemed  amongst  men  are  an  abomination  in  the  sight 
of  God."  These  solemn  truths  were  fully  understood  and  be- 
lieved by  the  primitive  saints,  and  hence  their  powerfolly  cor- 
roborating testimonies.  "Go  to  now,  ye  rich  men,  weep  and 
howl  for  your  miseries  that  shall  come  upon  you  1  Your  riches 
are  corrupted,  and  your  garments  are  moth-eaten ;  your  gold 
and  silver  are  cankered,  and  the  rust  of  them  shall  be  a  wit- 
ness against  you,  and  shall  eat  your  fiesh  as  it  were  fire ;  ye 
have  lived  in  pleasure  on  earth,  and  been  wanton/*  "For  the 
love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,  which  while  some  have  lusted 
after,  they  have  erred  from  the  faith,  and  pierced  themselves 
through  with  many  sorrows."  "  For  they  that  would  be  rich 
fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and  many  foolish  and  hurtful 
lusts  which  drown  men  in  perdition  and  destructioBi/*     I  will 


245 

leave  the  reader  to  make  his  own  comment,  while  I  anticipate 
the  reply  of  the  trumpeters  of  the  fame  of  J.  J.  G.,  that  he 
gave  liberally  to  Bible  Societies,  Missionary  Societies,  &c.,  and 
mightily  assisted  the  hireling  priests  in  bearing  rule  by  their 
means,  and  their  people  in  loving  to  have  it  so.  Yes,  he  gave 
more  than  one  year's  income  of  his  princely  estate  for  this 
great  purpose,  besides  feeding  poor  beggars  with  the  crumbs  that 
fell  from  his  table,  while  the  dogs  may  have  had  more  com- 
passion for  their  sores.  That  is,  the  common  people,  such  as 
J.  J.  G-.,  and  his  priests  would  call  heretics  and  unbelievers, 
have  more  Christian  sympathy  for  the  suffering,  starving, 
dying  English  subjects.  Witness  their  passionate  attacks  on 
the  abominable  aristocracy  and  hierarchy  of  the  British  go- 
vernment, the  anti-christian  source  of  all  their  sufferings, 
supported  and  held  up  by  such  men  as  J.  J.  Gr. 

The  pamphlet  further  says,  that  the  Grurney  family  has  been 
rich  and  great,  and  consequently  influential  in  Norwich,  for 
near  two  hundi-ed  years,  but  that  J.  J.  Gr.  was  the  greatest  of 
all.  Keeping  the  standard  of  Christianity  before  us,  the  hum- 
ble, illiterate  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  who  maintained  his  wi- 
dowed mother  by  humble  industry,  while  neither  of  them  had 
where  to  lay  their  heads  as  to  earthly  possessions ;  and  the 
poor,  illiterate  fisherman  of  Gralilee,  and  the  industrious  tent- 
maker  of  Tarsus,  who  ministered  to  his  own  necessities  and 
those  who  were  with  him,  by  the  labor  of  his  own  hands, — I 
say  let  us  keep  this  standard  before  us,  and  compare  an  hum- 
ble trader  in  Philadelphia,  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
with  the  great  idol  of  Norwich.  His  parents,  about  twenty- 
five  years  ago,  were  sold  out  of  house  and  home,  in  conse- 
quence of  being  eaten  up  by  usury.  Falling  short  of  satisfy- 
ing the  demands  against  him,  near  five  thousand  dollars,  the 
poor  old  Friends,  almost  broken  hearted,  went  to  Philadelphia, 
taking  this  son,  about  fourteen,  with  them,  and  with  difficulty 
got  a  trader  to  take  him.  His  humble  industry  and  faithful- 
ness, soon  gained  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  master, 
who,  after  he  was  free,  gave  him  a  chance  in  business,  where 
he  succeeded  in  making  money  enough  to  pay  all  his  father's 
debts,  which  was  the  first  of  his  noble  acts.  Since  which,  he 
has  given  away  thousands  to  poor,  helpless,  suffering  mortals, 
but  in  such  an  humble,  unobtrusive  way,  that  his  left  hand 
did  not  know  what  his  right  hand  did.     Nor  should  I  have 

21* 


246 

known  as  much  as  I  do,  had  he  not  made  me  the  distrihtitor 
of  some  of  his  alms,  expressing  a  wish  that  i  would  not  men- 
tion his  name,  but  I  proved  such  a  tell-tale,  that  he  discharg- 
ed me  from  my  stewardship,  and  employed  others  with  less 
tongue.  Being  inquisitive,  I  found  out  that  he  was  still  dis- 
tributing to  the  necessities  of  the  poor,  agreeably  to  the  com- 
mandment of  his  Divine  Master;  *'When  thou  doest  thine 
alms,  do  not  sound  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypocrites  do 
in  the  synagogues  and  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen  of  men  ; 
verily,  they  have  their  reward/^  Now  if  we  add  our  Lord's 
views  of  the  poor  widow's  two  mites  being  of  a  more  heaven- 
ly character  than  the  abundant  gifts  of  rich  men,  I  think  we 
shall  be  prepared  to  come  to  this  conclusion,  that  C.  H.,  the 
the  poor  tradesman  of  Philadelphia,  walking  in  the  path  of 
humble  industry,  paying  his  father's  debts,  and  cherishing  his 
poor  widowed  mother,  is,  according  to  the  Christian  standard, 
far  superior  to  J.  J,  G.,  of  Norwich,  in  England,  notwith- 
standing his  yearly  income  of  thousands  of  dollars. 

28^/i.  First  day ;  we  had  a  good  meeting,  especially  after  our 
dear  little  E.  S.  preached  the  gospel  3  my  poor  soul  was  nour- 
ished with  a  morsel  of  heavenly  bread. 

Sd  month,  1st,  2d  and  Sd.  At  work  in  my  shop,  trying  to 
earn  something,  so  that  I  may  be  able  to  meet  all  demands 
against  me  this  Spring.  Oh  1  how  thankful  I  ought  to  be  for 
the  blessing  of  being  relieved  from  debt,  which  once  almost 
broke  my  heart.  Friends  have  certainly  lost  much  of  their 
dignified  character  for  punctuality  and  justice  in  the  payment 
of  debts,  and  so  far  from  paying  their  parents'  debts,  they  will 
not  pay  their  own,  even  when  able,  which  has  almost  become 
fashionable.  Therefore,  C.  H.,  before  alluded  to,  has  been 
guilty  of  a  great  departure  from  the  too  common  custom  and 
fashion  of  the  day. 

4:th.  Our  Monthly  Meeting  at  Makefield ;  silent  worship, 
and  a  comfortable  encouraging  meeting  for  business. 

bth  and  Qth.  At  work  in  my  shop. 

7th.  First  day.  Last  night,  near  eleven  o'clock,  a  messen- 
ger arrived  from  New  York,  with  information  that  our  dear 
daughter,  Susan  H.  Carle,  was  sick;  and  to-day,  our  daughter 
Elizabeth  went  on.  Our  meeting  was  pretty  well  attended. 
Our  sister,  S.  W.,  I  thought,  gave  us  a  good  little  discourse, 
and  I  added  a  few  words  that  might  as  well  have  been  left, 


247 

for  all  that  they  were  worth.  I  tried  to  have  a  good  meeting, 
but  for  some  reason  the  heavens  seemed  like  brass,  and  the 
earth  like  iron. 

^th.  This  day  one  year  ago,  our  dear  little  grand-daughter, 
Phoebe  x\nn  Carle,  breathed  her  last,  and  my  eyes  are  filled 
with  tears  whilst  writing  the  record.  Oh  !  the  love  and  ten- 
derness I  feel  for  that  precious  child,  while  I  rejoice  at  her 
safe  arrival  among  those  blessed  angels  that  always  behold  the 
face  of  their  Father.  Received  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of 
our  aged  aunt,  Mary  Hilborn. 

9th  and  10th.  Industriously  at  work  in  my  shop.  It  was 
so  rainy  I  could  not  go  to  aunt  Mary's  funeral,  but  felt  peace 
of  mind :  yea,  sweet  peace  to  flow  as  a  river  of  life,  for  which 
my  soul  bows  in  thanksgiving  and  praise  to  Him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne  and  the  Lamb.  Read  part  of  what  is  called 
a  thanksgiving  sermon,  by  the  great  Albert  Barnes,  a  Presby- 
terian minister  in  Philadelphia,  which  I  consider  a  great  po- 
litical oration,  embracing  important  political  truths,  but  noth- 
ing of  the  Grospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Indeed  I  have  reason  to 
fear  that  the  preacher  is  not  a  heart-felt  believer,  for  if  he 
was,  or  is,  how  could  he  live  in  pride  and  idleness  on  the  in- 
dustry of  others.  Two  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  preaching. 
Alas  !  my  soul  grieVes  at  such  palpable  inconsistency. 

11th.  Our  midweek  meeting ;  a  laborious  time  till  dear  E. 
S.  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  welFs  mouth,  when  my 
soul  could  sing,  I  trust,  like  one  formerly,  who  said,  "  Spring 
up,  0  well,  and  I  will  sing  unto  thee.'^  Indeed  I  had  a 
precious  meeting,  in  silent,  solemn  supplication. 

12th  and  l^tfi.  Industriously  engaged  in  my  shop,  with 
peace  and  plenty. 

14:th.  First  day;  a  precious,  good  meeting.  I  awoke  this 
morning  with  this  language  impressed  upon  my  mind,  "  Straight 
is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  that  leads  to  life,  and  few 
there  are  that  find  it.  Because,  wide  is  the  gate  and  broad  is 
the  way  that  leads  to  destruction,  and  many  there  are  that  go 
in  thereat.""  And  Christ  says,  ^^I  am  the  way,  the  truth  and 
the  life;  no  man  cometh  to  the  Father  but  through  me,  and 
he  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  my  Father. ^^  When  I  took 
my  seat  in  meeting  this  morning,  this  prayer  sprung  up  in  my 
heart,  "  Oh  !  for  an  establishment  upon  that  rock  against 
which  the  gates  of  hell  shall  never  prevail."  This  led  to  whati 


248 

I  call  a  precious  meeting,  and  could  I  have  remained  silent^  it 
might  have  added  to  my  peace  of  mind.  But  I  felt  it  my  duty 
to  give  a  little  transcript  of  my  exercise  to  the  meetings  which 
I  fear,  did  not  add  much  to  the  stature  of  truth. 

loth,  IQth  and  17th.  Spent  in  my  shop  in  close  application 
to  business.  Received  an  invitation  to  the  funeral  of  Abra- 
ham Buckman,  near  the  Buck  Tavern,  but  did  not  go,  but 
staid  and  attended  our  own  midweek  meeting,  which  was  large 
and  one  of  the  most  precious,  encouraging  opportunities.  J.  S.  . 
appeared  in  solemn  testimony,  and  his  dear  little  wife  in  so- 
lemn supplication.  Indeed  it  was  a  refreshing  time  to  my  poor 
soul,  for  I  was  silent,  only  speaking  of  the  funeral  of  R.  J., 
an  aged  Friend,  say  eighty-seven.  This  woman  was  left  a  wi- 
dow nearly  thirty  years  ago,  with  an  income  of  ten  or  twelve 
hundred  dollars  a  year,  from  rents  and  usury.  I  did  not  at- 
tend her  funeral,  for  I  was  afraid  I  would  find  a  house  of  re- 
joicing and  jealousy,  instead  of  a  house  of  mourning;  and  be- 
sides, there  are  always  enough  to  attend  upon  the  rich,  and  I 
was  fearful  if  I  went  I  might  do  more  hurt  than  good. 

19th.  At  work  in  my  shop ;  and  on  the  20th,  went  in  com- 
pany with  my  brother-in-law,  Isaac  Parry,  to  see  D.  H.,  a 
man  with  a  handsome  wife,  handsome  children,  handsome 
farm,  handsome  buildings,  and  a  handsome  fortune,  but  with  a 
broken  constitution,  and  melancholy  mind,  brooding,  I  fear, 
over  the  gloomy  apprehensions  of  an  after  state.  Oh  !  the 
fatal  mistake  that  poor,  short-lived  mortals  continue  to  make. 

21sf.  First  day  ;  a  rainy  morning,  and  of  course  not  a  large 
meeting.  Several  of  us  ministers  and  elders  had  some  public 
service  that  did  not  appear  to  me  to  amount  to  much,  especi- 
ally the  part  that  came  from  me.  However,  the  silent  part  I 
thought  was  a  good  meeting  to  me.  In  the  afternoon  had  an 
invitation  to  the  funeral  of  Obadiah  Willet,  who  lived  nearly 
ninety-three  years,  but  at  last  had  to  die.  "Yes,  he  is  gone — 
that  is  all — we  know  not  where,''  "  or  how  the  disembodied 
soul  doth  fare."  We  may  know  that  he  has  left  a  pretty 
large  estate,  and  two  sets  of  high  spirited  children,  and  we  may 
have  reason  to  fear  there  will  be  too  much  bad  feeling,  if  not 
too  much  bad  action,  with  reference  to  law  and  limitation  acts. 
I  have  been  acquainted  with  Obadiah  Willet  nearly  fifty 
years.  He  once  had  a  lovely  daughter,  near  my  age,  and 
some  of  my  happiest  juvenile  hours  were  spent  under  his  roof. 


249 

2'2d.  In  my  shop,  where  I  was  most  agreeably  visited  by 
my  dear  Friend,  Emmor  Kimber. 

23c?,  Attended  the  funeral  of  Obadiah  Willet.  It  was  quite 
large,  and  I  spoke  to  the  company  at  some  length,  but  1  fear 
to  little  purpose,  though  I  thought  at  the  time,  and  especially 
when  I  had  done  speaking,  that  it  was  a  solemn  opportunity. 
I  now  think  my  communication  a  poor  heterogeneous  mixture 
of  undigested  matter,  something  like  a  half  baked  cake.  I 
was  certainly  led  somewhat  singularly.  I  began  to  speak  with 
a  prospect  of  giving  a  paraphrase  of  the  14th  chapter  of 
John,  and  the  13th  of  first  Corinthians,  but  struck  off  upon 
something  like  the  following  remarks,  touching  the  character 
of  the  deceased :  "  That  he  was  able  to  say,  after  he  had  lived 
to  the  full  age  of  a  man,  say  seventy  years,  that  he  had  never 
used  tobacco  in  any  way,  nor  had  he  ever  been  drunk. ^'  Now 
in  estimating  his  character  let  us  act  upon  a  principle  of  jus- 
tice— if  we  charge  him  with  his  deficiencies  and  vices,  let  us 
give  him  credit  for  his  perfections  and  virtues.  If  we  charge 
him  with  not  being  religious,  that  is,  not  going  to  meeting,  nor 
paying  his  money  to  support  a  hireling  ministry,  Bible  Socie- 
ties, Missionary  Societies,  &c.  &c.,  let  us  give  him  credit  for 
setting  a  better  example,  of  a  dignified,  consistent,  rational 
being,  by  not  using  tobacco,  or  not  getting  drunk  for  seventy 
years,  than  ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred  hireling  priests,  or 
their  satellites,  or  even  numbers  of  the  religious  Society  of 
Friends.  This  view,  taken  in  connection  with  his  other  traits 
of  character,  I  am  induced  to  believe  would  present  a  balance 
in  favor  of  my  deceased  kinsman,  Obadiah  Willet.  We  are 
told  that  the  chief  end  of  man,  is  to  glorify  God  on  earth, 
and  enjoy  him  in  heaven  for  ever,  and  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians testified  that  God  ought  to  be  glorified  even  in  eating  and 
drinking.  Now  please  to  consider,  whether  God  is  glorified  by 
a  high  professor  of  Christianity,  when,  perverting  the  whole 
order  of  creation,  he  takes  into  his  mouth  a  nasty  weed,  whose 
poisonous,  nauseous  qualities  are  such  that  a  hog,  one  of  the 
filthiest  of  animals,  will  not  touch  it;  or  whether  a  lovely 
woman,  who  ought  to  stand  next  to  the  angels  in  heaven, 
glorifies  him  when  she  defiles  her  lips  with  abominable 
snuff;  or  when,  indulging  an  irritable  temper,  she  uses 
harsh  language,  unbecoming  her  position,  and  calculated 
to  sully  or  blot  out  every  agreeable  quality;  I  say,  how 
does  such  a  woman  glorify  God,  more  than  the  poor  man  who 


250 

gets  drunk  on  whiskey,  abuses  his  wife,  and  swears.  Indeed, 
I  have  considered  them  so  nearly  equal  in  perverting  the  di- 
vine harmony  of  creation,  that  they  have  no  reason  to  quarrel 
who  should  be  the  greatest,  or  rather  the  worst. 

24^/i.  Closely  employed  in  my  shop, 

25tJi.  Our  midweek  meeting;  a  comfortable  encouraging 
opportunity. 

26th  and  27t7i.  Very  busy  trying  to  get  some  work  done  by 
the  terrible,  "  fii'st  of  April,"  a  day  of  trouble  and  rebuke  to 
poor  me  for  many  years.  Oh  !  how  thankful  I  ought  to  feel 
for  the  fulfilment,  so  far,  of  dear  old  William  Blakey's  pro- 
phecy when  encouraging  my  wife  and  self  thirty  years  ago, 
^'  that  our  last  days  should  be  our  best  days." 

2StJi.  First-day.  I  had  a  precious  silent  meeting  after  hard 
work  to  get  at  the  life,  though  the  solemnity  was  disturbed  by 
a  cold  lifeless  lecture  on  the  Sabbath,  but  closed  well  by  being 
favored  with  a  little  new  wine  of  the  kingdom  handed  to  us  by 
our  dear  little  friend,  E.  S. 

2dth,  oOth  and  olst.  Spent  in  finishing  some  work  and  try- 
ing to  persuade  a  young  man  who  possesses  talents  to  be 
gi'eatly  good,  to  reform  from  the  errors  of  his  way,  he  having 
lately  given  some  grounds  for  hope  by  an  act  of  justice  towards 
the  woman  he  has  married.  A  man  may  be  a  drunkard,  a 
swearer,  and  indeed,  a  very  immoral  man ;  still  there  is  hope 
for  him  ',  but  if  he  uses  a  woman  badly,  gaining  her  affections 
and  then  leaving  her  in  a  helpless  state,  the  victim  of  despair, 
reproach  and  shame,  such  a  man,  being  a  gi-eat  sinner,  must  be 
a  great  penitent  or  be  greatly  tormented. 

4ith  month  1st.  Our  midweek  meeting,  or  rather  Preparative 
Meeting,  unusually  small,  but  comfortable  and  edifying.  Went 
in  the  afternoon  with  my  wife  to  Warminster,  to  see  our 
sister  E.  and  her  daughter,  and  our  dear  S.  P.,  husband, 
parents,  &c. 

2d.  Returned  home  and  received  an  invitation  to  the  funeral 
of  my  dear  afilicted  friend,  Sarah  Hulme,  of  Mount  Holly, 
N.  J.  This  day  I  have  had  another  evidence  of  my  constitu- 
tional weakness — too  easily  provoked — Oh !  when  shall  I  over- 
come this  enemy  of  my  soul. 

3J.  Another  polite  invitation  to  the  funeral  above  alluded 
to;  in  a  serious  difficulty  about  going;  feebleness  of  health 
and  activity  of  mind  are  discouragements.     The  first,  to  my 


251 

bodily  health;  the  second,  a  fear  I  shall  preach  in  my  own  will, 
and  scatter,  instead  of  gathering  to  Christ.  Finally  settled 
not  to  go  to  the  funeral  of  dear  Sarah  Hulme. 

Ath.  This  day  I  am  sixty-seven  years  of  age,  and  seriously 
think  of  closing  my  writing  concern,  but  it  being  First-day  I 
will  try  to  weigh  the  concern  in  the  balance  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
view  it  in  the  light  of  the  gospel,  if  I  can  be  favored  with  a 
good  silent  meeting,  A  good  meeting,  but  not  as  much  light 
as  I  could  have  wished,  but  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  the 
balance  of  impression  is  in  favor  of  sealing  up  such  visions  and 
prophecies  as  may  hereafter  be  given,  and  write  them  not,  only 
publishing  them  by  preaching  the  gospel  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
sent  down  from  heaven,  the  only  way  the  gospel  was  ever 
preached.  I  had  better  for  ever  be  silent  than  to  speak  in  my 
own  will  and  my  own  strength,  for  it  is  an  unchangeable,  eternal 
truth,  that  '^  He  that  gathereth  not  with  me — Christ — scatter- 
eth."  The  Society  of  Friends  are  scattered  and  divided,  and  I  fear 
will  too  soon  be  subdivided.  The  two  extremes  which  have 
produced  this,  appear  to  me  now  to  be  carrying  out  their  effect. 
The  Orthodox  Friends  are  in  two  parties  called  Gurneyites  and 
"Wilburites.  The  Gurneyites  are  the  extreme  Orthodox,  and 
are  preparing  to  amalgamate  with  the  Episcopalians,  as  the 
Episcopalians  are  preparing  to  amalgamate  with  the  Roman 
Catholics.  Friends,  or  what  are  called  Hicksite  Friends,  are 
in  two  parties,  which  I  shall  call,  for  the  purpose  of  explaining 
my  views,  Hicksites  and  Foxites.  The  Hicksites  appear  to 
me  fully  prepared  to  amalgamate  with  the  Unitarians,  as  the 
Unitarians  are  .prepared  to  unite  with  the  Deists,  and  finally 
join  the  confederacy  or  conspiracy  to  destroy  the  religion  of 
Jesus  in  its  blessed  simplicity,  and  introduce  the  reign  of  rea- 
son instead  of  revelation.  The  Foxites,  or  rather  the  Society 
of  Friends  that  unite,  or  are  in  union  with  Fox,  Penn,  and 
Barclay,  with  which  I  include  myself,  are  in  a  society  capacity 
in  a  suiFering  state,  and  which  will  be  most  likely  to  increase. 
The  friendly  Orthodox  are  in  a  similar  state  and  condition. 
Now  if  the  extreme  Orthodox  or  Gurneyites  would  C|uietly  go 
to  the  Episcopalians  where  they  properly  belong,  and  our  ultra 
reformers  go  to  the  Unitarians,  their  right  place,  and  religious 
Friends  and  religious  Orthodox  could  hold  a  conference,  and 
let  that  '^charity  that  suflPereth  long  and  is  kind,^'  sit  as 
moderator,  I  think  there  would  be  but  little  to  prevent  their 


252 

uniting  again.  The  greatest  difficulty  will  be  the  deep  rooted 
prejudice  against  that  excellent  Friend,  Elias  Hicks.  Indeed 
the  Orthodox  spirit  has  most  improperly  and  unjustly  dubbed 
as  Hicksites  the  great  body  of  Friends  constituting  the  Yearly 
Meeting  of  Philadelphia,  when  neither  Elias  Hicks  nor  his 
doctrine  had  any  thing  to  do  with  our  Quaker  reyolution  in 
Pennsylvania,  which  originated  in  a  contest  between  the  repub- 
licanism of  William  Penn,  planted  in  America  and  watered 
and  cherished  by  the  free  institutions  of  our  country,  and  the 
aristocracy  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  London,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  British  hierarchy.  This  being  the  fact,  and  that 
Elias  Hicks  never  united  with  John  Comly's  excellent  Chris- 
tian plan  of  re-organizing  our  Yearly  Meeting,  through  its 
constituent  branches,  nor  came  into  it,  till  after  it  was  effected, 
and  the  Genius  of  Pennsylvania  had  offered  its  protection  to 
Friends ;  this  of  itself,  certainly  shows  the  inconsistency  of 
calling  us  Hicksites.  If  we  must  have  a  nick-name  there 
would  be  much  more  propriety  in  calling  us  Comlyites.  But 
be  that  as  it  may,  one  thing  is  pretty  certain  with  me,  that  dear 
old  Elias  in  his  day  saw  but  one  of  the  sad  extremes  which 
are  now  distracting  the  whole  Society  of  Friends.  He  only 
saw,  as  he  thought,  the  Society  going,  "  to  use  the  figure  of  a 
distinguished  minister,  full  gallop  towards  Rome,"  or,  in  other 
words,  towards  Trinitarianism  ;  and  fearing  they  would  finally 
split  on  that  fatal  rock  of  anti-Christ,  Elias  exerted  himself  with 
great  zeal  and  ability ;  and  as  great  men  are  not  always  wise, 
nor  wise  men  always  prudent,  he  might  sometimes  have  run  so 
near  the  opposite  rock  of  Unitarianism  as  to  be  a  little 
scratched  and  injured  by  some  of  its  cold  barren  points.  But 
even  that  partial  evil,  if  it  may  be  called  an  evil,  proved  the 
truth  of  the  Scripture  testimony,  that  all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  for  it  con^dnced  him  that  the 
Unitarian  rock  was  likely  to  be  the  most  dangerous  to  his  pro- 
fessing Friends.  Hence  his  declaration  a  short  time  before  he 
died,  ''that  he  was  now  more  afraid  of  his  professing  friends, 
than  he  was  of  his  professing  enemies ;"  and  had  the  dear  old 
man  lived  until  this  time,  he  would  more  than  have  realized 
his  fearful  apprehensions,  in  beholding  his  professing  friends, 
to  use  the  figure  by  way  of  parody,  so  afraid  of  galloping  to 
Home  that  they  were  on  something  like  the  long  trot  to  Con- 
stantinople, with  not  as   much   reverence  for  Jesus  Christ  as 


253 

the  Turks,  and  where  he  might  have  heard  one  of  their  most 
distinguished  speakers  declare  from  a  Quaker  gallery,  as  a 
gospel  truth,  that  a  Catholic  priest  in  Ireland  had  done  greater 
works  than  ever  Jesus  Christ  had  done ;  and  that  peculiar 
doctrine  or  position  of  the  primitive  Quakers,  that  Christ  had 
come  as  a  quickening  spirit  to  teach  his  people  himself,  was 
all  a  delusion ;  and  that  Friends  now  going  to  meeting  and  sit- 
ting in  silence,  to  wait  upon  him  as  a  teacher  that  will  lead 
into  all  truth,  was  an  abomination  in  the  Divine  sight;  and  all 
those  Scripture  testimonies  that  Friends  being  in  favor  of  such 
a  practice,  are  absurdities,  as  well  as  many  other  parts  of  the 
New  Testament.  Add  to  this,  Hannah  Barnard's  skeptical 
speculation  about  the  Scriptures  revived,  (by  a  nursling  of  a 
boarding  school)  with  all  the  flimsy  sophistry  of  a  quibbling 
age, — I  say  had  dear  old  Elias  Hicks  lived  to  see  and  hear  all 
this,  and  had  he  been  in  the  same  state  of  mind  that  he  was 
when  seventy  years  of  age,  he  would  have  looked  upon  such 
professing  Friends  as  his  Divine  Master  did  upon  the  hypo- 
critical priests,  '^  with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the  hardness  of 
their  Jiearts." 

I  am  aware  that  these  sorrowful  truths  may  give  offence, 
and  some  Orthodox  may  reply  that  what  is  acknowledged  above 
is  nothing  more  than  the  carrying  out  of  the  doctrine  preached 
by  Elias  Hicks.  To  which  I  answer ;  not  as  much  so  as  the 
opposite  extreme,  now  existing  among  Orthodox  Friends,  which 
is  driving  their  members  by  hundreds  to  the  priests,  is  the  ef- 
fect of  the  preaching,  writing,  and  example,  of  Joseph  John 
Gurney  and  Elisha  Bates )  and  if  Orthodox  Friends  would  be 
honest  and  candid  enough  to  make  a  fair  comparison  between 
their  redoubtable  champions,  Joseph  John  and  Elisha,  and 
that  venerable  and  consistent  Quaker,  Elias  Hicks,  I  think 
they  would  be  ashamed  of  themselves,  and  be  willing  to  put  up 
their  sword  into  its  sheath.  I  could  say  much  about  the  in- 
consistency of  the  wealthy  and  learned  Joseph  John  Gurney, 
in  continuing  his  connection  with  the  Society  of  Friends,  and 
at  the  same  time  going  hand  and  glove  with  hireling  priests, 
giving  them  thousands  of  pounds  to  support  their  Bible  Soci- 
eties, Missionary  Societies,  &c.,  the  means  by  which  they  bear 
rule.  I  could  say  much  about  the  learned  and  mutable  Elisha 
Bates'  extreme  orthodoxy,  but  final  consistency,  in  leaving 
Friends  and  joining  the  Episcopal  Methodists.     But  enough, 

22 


254 

if  not  too  mucli,  has  already  been  said,  and  my  object  is  to  try 
to  restore  peace  among  religious  Friends,  and  get  them  together 
again,  for  they  will  stand  in  need  of  all  the  sympathy  and 
help  that  they  can  give  each  other  •  and  I  should  be  willing  to 
retire  with  such  religious  Friends,  from  all  these  noisy,  turbu- 
lent parties,  now  in  Society,  and  let  them  have  our  big  meeting 
houses,  and  money  at  usury,  boarding  schools,  worldly  honors, 
&c.  &c.  All  we  would  ask  would  be  our  old-fashioned  Quaker- 
ism, whose  gratitude  and  love  to  God  could  wet  the  floor  of  a 
log  cabin  with  its  tears,  and  whose  excellent  old-fashioned  dis- 
cipline was  particularly  concerned  that  poor  Friend's  necessi- 
ties should  be  duly  inspected,  and  they  relieved,  and  assisted 
in  such  business  as  they  were  capable  of.  With  such  Friends 
I  should  be  more  than  willing  to  renew  covenant  with  a  cove- 
nant keeping  God,  and  with  each  other,  in  the  good,  old-fash- 
ioned resolution,  that,  let  others  do  as  they  would,  we  would 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  try  to  promote  his  blessed 
cause  on  earth,  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  Fox,  Penn,  and 
Barclay.  My  precious  mother  died  in  this  faith,  and  left  her 
infant  a  legacy  of  unutterable  love — the  fervent,  effectual 
prayer  of  her  righteous  soul — that  the  Shepherd  of  Israel,  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  would  bless  and  preserve  her  son ',  and  it 
seemed  so  ordered,  in  infinite  goodness  and  mercy,  that  my  lot 
was  cast  under  the  superintending  care  of  a  pious  Quaker 
woman,  who,  like  Cowper's  cottager,  knew, 
«'  And  only  knew  her  Bible  to  be  true, 

A  truth  some  modern  schoolmen  never  knew. 
And  led  her  infant  charge,  with  sparkling  eyes, 
To  seek  a  heavenly  treasure  in  the  skies." 

This  was  the  instrument  that  was  made  use  of  to  assist  in 
kindling  the  first  devotional  fire  on  the  altar  of  my  heart ;  a 
fire  that  was  partially  covered,  but  never  put  out — a  fire  that 
was  kindled  with  renewed  fervency,  under  a  heavenly  visita- 
tion, about  the  twenty-first  year  of  my  age,  and  now  furnished 
with  additional  fuel,  from  the  grateful  remembrance  of  the 
unmerited  mercy  and  goodness  of  my  Heavenly  Father,  in 
keeping  me  and  feeding  me,  to  the  commencement  of  my  sixty- 
eighth  year.  I  can  set  up  my  Ebenezer,  and  say,  hitherto  the 
Lord  has  been  with  me,  he  has  blessed  me  with  every  thing  in 
this  world  that  I  could  ask  for.  It  is  true,  my  comfortable 
home  consists  of  a  house  which  some  might  think  of  but  mean 


255 

appearance,  and  a  lot  of  twelve  acres  of  land,  tlie  produce  of 
which,  with  my  working  industriously  with  my  own  hands  at 
my  trifling  trade,  I  can  pay  cash  for  every  thing  I  buy,  and 
owe  no  man ;  and,  taking  the  apostle's  advice,  can  "  Study  to 
be  quiet,  and  do  my  own  business,  and  work  with  my  own 
hands,  that  I  may  walk  orderly  towards  them  that  are  without, 
and  that  I  may  lack  nothing."  How  much  better  is  such  a 
Christian  independence,  than  living  idly,  on  an  income  drawn 
from  the  sweat  of  the  brow  of  a  poor  Christian  brother,  by 
usury,  or  even  the  rent  of  a  farm.  I  can  now  appeal  to  the 
elders  of  Bucks  Quarterly  Meeting,  as  Paul  did  to  the  elders 
of  the  Grecian  Church,  ''I  have  coveted  no  man's  silver,  or 
gold,  or  apparel.  Yea,  ye  yourselves  know  that  these  hands 
have  ministered  to  my  necessities,  andthem  that  are  with  me." 

I  am  aware  I  stand  charged  by  the  priests  and  their  satel- 
lites, with  receiving  pay  for  preaching,  and  presents  and  favors 
from  Friends,  with  an  extraordinary  price  for  my  work ;  which 
charges  I  now  solemnly  declare  to  be  false,  I  admit  that  I 
receive  ten  dollars  a  year  of  Newtown  Preparative  Meeting, 
for  taking  care  of  the  meeting  house,  making  fires,  sweeping, 
&c.,  out  of  which  I  pay  from  a  dollar  to  two  dollars  towards 
the  contingent  expenses.  And  as  to  favors  and  presents,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Leedom  family,  descendants  of  my  adopted 
mother,  I  receive  no  presents  or  favors.  Indeed,  a  case  has 
just  occurred  that  will  show  what  kind  of  favors  I  receive  from 
Friends. 

When  I  bought  the  last  addition  to  my  little  lot,  I  bor- 
rowed of  a  member  of  a  neighboring  Monthly  Meeting,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars;  aad  after  paying  him  more  than  one 
hundred  dollars  usury,  or  interest,  when  L  sent  him  a  day  or 
two  since,  his  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  he  refused  to  give 
up  the  obligation  until  I  paid  him  about  twenty-seven  dollars, 
compound  interest.  This  man  has  no  children,  and  is  putting 
out  every  year  near  a  thousand  dollars  at  usury  :  therefore  let 
the  priests  and  their  satellites  put  their  hands  upon  their 
mouths,  and  be  silent,  for  the  reverse  is  the  fact,  as  respects 
us  poor  Quaker  ministers,  since  our  Quaker  revolution.  Ex- 
cepting a  few  cases  of  popular  bubbles,  we  are  the  butt,  the 
jest,  and  the  laughing  stock,  of  the  fourth  proof  dandy,  who 
has  learned  at  school  how  to  write  a  receipt,  cut  up  a  dog,  and 
argue  against  the  immortality  of  the  soul;  and  by  the  assistance 


256 

of  the  redoubtable  Thomas  Paine,  to  consider  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures a  mere  jest  book.  Yes,  I  know  three  poor  Quaker  min- 
isters, within  ten  miles,  that  have  been  permitted  to  sink — one 
of  them,  I  fear,  downright. 

"  O'er  him  and  o'er  his  name, 
The  billows  of  affliction  e'er  will  closej 
The  morrow  knows  not  he  was  ever  born." 

This  poor  dear  brother  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  richest 
Monthly  Meetings,  whose  active  members  have  latterly  ap- 
peared to  me  pre-eminent  for  usury,  ranterism,  and  self- 
righteousness.  Another  has  a  short  memorial  of  mercy  from 
his  friends,  connected  with  the  records  of  his  Preparative 
Meeting,  which,  like  the  flag  floating  when  the  bark  is  en- 
gulphed,  may 

"  A  moment  float,  and  then  be  seen  no  more." 

A  third,  although  not  a  recommended  minister,  but  acknow- 
ledged by  his  neighbors  to  be  a  most  excellent  young  Friend, 
was  sold  out  by  the  Sheriff"  for  a  debt  of  two  hundred  dollars, 
and  then  his  Monthly  Meeting,  with  funds  at  usury,  tried  to 
disown  him ;  while  in  the  same  and  an  adjoining  neighborhood, 
six  hundred  or  a  thousand  dollars  could  be  raised  for  the  bene- 
fit of  a  colored  man,  a  native  of  Maryland.  I  do  not  make 
these  remarks  from  any  unkind  feeling  I  entertain  against 
these  Friends,  on  account  of  any  treatment  I  have  received  ] 
far  from  it.  But  I  make  a  statement  of  facts,  in  defence  of 
the  cause  of  truth,  as  professed  by  Friends,  to  meet  the  charges 
of  a  set  of  lazy,  proud  hirelings,  who  can  live  idly  on  the  in- 
dustry of  their  weak,  superstitious  satellites,  and  to  relieve  the 
wear  and  tear  of  their  guilty  consciences,  are  throwing  out 
their  unjust  insinuations  against  poor  Quaker  ministers,  who 
receive  no  salary  nor  favors,  more  than  other  members  of  Soci- 
ety, but  have  to  exert  every  energy  of  body  and  mind,  to  meet 
the  contingent  expenses  of  a  too  often  too  extravagant  family ; 
and  should  they  fail  to  meet  all  their  engagements,  and  pay 
their  simple  and  compound  interest,  are  suffered  to  sink,  if  not 
downright,  in  a  crippled  state  for  life;  while  the  Monthly 
Meeting  to  which  one  of  them  belongs,  has  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars at  interest  or  usury.  But  the  present  leaders  of  the  meet- 
ing, and  managers  of  the  funds,  appear  to  have  no  Christ-like 
mercy  or  forgiveness,  and  hence  no  sorrowful  look  is  cast  upon 
poor  Peter,  while  perplexed  and  worried  by  a  set  of  inquisi- 


257 

tive,  supercilious  creditors;  on  the  contrary,  his  sins  must  be 
confessed  to  the  Monthly  Meeting,  in  a  degrading  acknowledg- 
ment. Oh  !  that  there  could  have  been  honest  Christianity 
enough  in  that  Monthly  Meeting,  to  have  recorded  at  the 
same  time  its  own  acknowledgement,  that  a  little  timely  Chris- 
tian care,  with  a  very  small  part  of  the  compound  usury  that 
that  Monthly  Meeting  had  been  exacting  from  honest  industry, 
would  have  saved  this  poor  Friend.  Oh  !  how  unlike  the  babe 
of  Bethlehem — oh !  how  unlike  the  Lamb  that  groaned  on 
Calvary — oh  !  how  unlike  that  darling  attribute  of  mercy,  that 
suffering  Saviour,  who  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter,  when 
overwhelmed  with  temptation,  confusion,  and  darkness,  he  was 
equivocating,  lying,  and  swearing — -not  a  look  of  anger,  not  a 
look  of  reproach,  but  a  look  of  sorrow  and  sympathy  for  poor, 
sinful,  fallen  man;  a  look  of  light  and  life,  that  made  poor 
Peter's  sins  appear  exceeding  sinful,  and  he  wept  bitterly  tears 
of  repentance  not  to  be  repented  of.     It  was  all  that  was  deemed 

needful ;  he  was  never  charged  with  beina:  a  liar  and  a  swearer. 

.  ... 

He  was   only  cited  three    times    in   the    following  language : 

^^ Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou  me?"  when  Peter  could 
sorrowfully  answer,  "Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things,  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee." 

Some  of  the  foregoing  remarks  may  be  thought  rather  too 
invidious,  but,  dear  reader,  they  are  not  made  on  my  own  ac- 
count, or  in  consequence  of  the  dealings  of  Friends  towards 
me ;  far  from  it :  for  however  delinquent  I  may  have  been, 
the  Shepherd  of  Israel,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  has  raised  me 
up  Friends,  who  have  kept  me  above  the  disciplinarian  treat- 
ment of  such  cold,  unfeeling  Monthly  Meetings.  One  whose 
name  already  stands  recorded  in  the  narrative  of  my  life,  I 
again  refer  to  in  this  closing  paragraph.  Dear  S.  H.  of  New 
York,  an  honor  to  the  commercial  character  of  that  great  city, 
not  only  stood  by  me  as  my  friend  while  livinor,  but  I  believe 
remembered  me  in  death,  and  requested  his  children  to  do  as 
lie  had  done.  Hence,  his  beloved  son  H.,  a  wealthy  and  re- 
spectable merchant  of  the  same  city,  who  I  hope  is  walking  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  honored  father,  called  on  me,  generously 
offering  to  assist  in  any  thing  I  needed.  I  told  him  I  needed 
nothing  that  this  world  could  give  me,  and  while  I  was  able 
with  these  hands  to  minister  to  my  own  necessities,  and  them 

*22 


258 

that  were  with  me,  I  felt  conscientiously  bound  to  do  it^  and 
coyet  no  man's  silver,  or  gold,  or  apparel. 

And  here  I  will  give  my  reasons  for  not  submitting  my 
writings  to  the  Meeting  for  Sufferings,  or  Representative  Com- 
mittee, Because  they  would  not  have  united  with  their  plain, 
simple  form,  neither  would  they  have  published  them  so  that 
they  could  be  given  away.  Nevertheless,  had  all  the  members 
been  like  my  very  dear  friends  John  Comly,  Isaac  Parry,  &c., 
&c.,  I  should  not  have  been  afraid  that  my  writings  would 
have  lost  any  thing  of  their  Christian  character  by  their  re- 
visal.  But  as  too  many  members  of  that  committee  would  be 
a  much  more  consistent  ornament  to  a  seat  in  Congress,  than  a 
Quaker  gallery,  and  consequently  much  better  c^ualified  to 
serve  on  a  committee  of  ''  ways  and  means,"  than  to  judge  of 
Christian  experience,  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  submit  to  that 
order  of  Society,  believing  I  have  a  right,  as  a  member  of  the 
Society,  to  have  them  published  on  my  own  responsibility,  and 
clear  Friends  from  any  accountability  whatever,  for  any  errors 
that  may  be  in  them. 

And  now,  before  I  lay  down  my  pen,  I  think  it  right  to  de- 
clare again  an  increasing  love  and  unity  with  faithful,  religious 
Friends,  wherever  they  are  to  be  found :  mark  what  I  say, 
faithful,  religious  Friends  ;  such  as  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  believe,  with  Fox,  Penn,  and  Barclay,  that  He  has  come 
without  sin  unto  salvation,  as  a  C|uickening  spirit,  to  teach  and 
save  his  people  himself,  agi-eeable  to  his  own  heavenly  promise 
and  the  faith  of  his  primitive  disciples,  '^  I  wdll  not  leave  you 
comfortless,  I  will  come  unto  you,^'  in  the  character  of  the 
spirit  of  truth  that  shall  lead  into  all  truth,  which  the  world 
cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him ; 
^'  But  ye  know  him,  for  he  dwelleth  with  you  and  shall  be  in 
you.'^  Therefore,  '^  you  need  not  that  any  man  teach  you,'' 
save  that  Holy  anointing  ''which  is  Christ  within,  the  hope 
of  glory/'  which  teacheth  and  leadeth  into  all  truth. 

Neictou-n,  7th  mo.  ISth,  1849. 
I  feel  as  if  I  ought  to  try  to  write  a  few  lines  more  before  I 
die,  which  some  of  the  Doctors  think  will  be  this  summer. 
Indeed  I  feel  scarcely  able  to  walk  up  and  down  stairs,  such  is 
the  weakness  of  my  body,  though  I  humbly  hope,  I  am  favored 
with  sound  mind  and  memory,  and  want  simply  to  say,  in  as 
few  words  as   possible,  something  by  way  of  encouragement 


259 

to  such  precious  visited  minds  as  may  come  after  me  and 
read  this. 

Dear,  precious  children,  believe  me,  an  establishment  in  the 
ever  blessed  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  is  infinitely — infinitely  su- 
perior to  every  thing  of  this  world.  Press  after  it,  lay  fast 
hold  of  it,  in  this  your  day  of  visitation,  remembering  that  by 
^'  G-race  ye  are  saved,  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  yourselves, 
it  is  the  gift  of  God/'  Put  no  confidence  in  your  own  strength, 
your  own  resolutions  or  resolves,  for  should  you  thus  attain  to 
a  religious  standing  among  men,  it  may  terminate  in  self- 
righteousness,  or  at  best,  that  of  the  elder  brother,  which  was 
not  the  Christian  state. 

I  now  feel  that  it  was  a  great  blessing  when  I  came  to 
see  my  lost  state,  about  the  21st  year  of  my  age,  that  I  lost  all 
coDfidence  in  myself,  and  felt  the  need  of  a  Saviour  to  save 
my  sinful  soul,  for  I  knew  without  such  a  Saviour  I  must  fall ', 
and  this  fear  of  falling,  which  has  been  the  companion  of  my 
mind  for  nearly  fifty  years,  I  now  see  has  been  an  additional 
blessing  to  me,  for  it  led  to  care  and  concern,  and  this  concern, 
in  the  day  of  my  espousal,  when  I  first  began  to  attend  Friends' 
meetings,  led  to  fervent  prayer,  which  was  efi'ectual,  and 
hence  my  preservation  as  a  monument  of  the  mercy  and  good- 
ness of  God.  I  say  monument  of  mercy,  for  I  certainly  have 
no  merit,  and  am  really  astonished  that  such  a  poor  creature 
as  I  have  always  been,  should  have  ever  attained  to  such  a 
standing  in  Society,  and  had  so  many  good  friends. 

I  now  have  a  lively  recollection  that  in  those  days  of  tempta- 
tion and  tremendous  tossings,  when  I  sometimes  thought  I 
was  lost  for  ever,  when  favored  with  the  spirit  of  prayer,  how  I 
begged  for  preservation.  I  felt  as  if  I  ought  to  suffer  the  due 
reward  of  my  evil  deeds,  but  like  the  penitent  sufferer  on  the 
right  hand  of  Jesus,  I  often  exclaimed,  ''  Lord,  remember  me 
when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."  This  prayer  has  been 
graciously  answered,  and  I  have  been  snatched  as  a  brand 
from  the  burning,  and  preserved  as  a  monument  of  unmerited 
mercy  and  goodness,  which  has  put  it  into  my  heart,  especially 
these  last  years  of  my  life,  to  pray  daily  for  an  increase  of  faith 
in  Christ  and  an  increase  of  love  for  him  ;'and  I  now  think  I  feel 
an  incontestible  evidence  that  this  prayer  has  been  granted, 
and  my  poor  soul  has  become  established  in  the  eternal  Truths 
as  it  is  in  Jesus,  with  that  faith  that  works  by  love  ;  for  oh  ! 
the  love  I  feel  for  my  dear  Redeemer  is  inexpressible,  and  the 


260 

increase  of  love  I  feel  for  all  his  dear  children  the  world  over, 
let  their  name  and  profession  be  what  it  may.  This  faith  in 
Christ  and  love  for  him,  furnishes  the  precious  hope  that  I 
shall  be  saved,  and  this  hope  is  like  an  anchor  that  keeps  me 
quiet,  steady  and  Jinn  under  the  canopy  of  heavenly  peace  ; 
i/m/ legacy  that  he  hath  bequeathed  to  all  true  believers,  "My 
peace  1  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you  ;  not  as  the 
world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you ;  let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled, 
neither  let  them  be  afraid."  I  therefore  humbly  hope  that 
death  to  me  will  have  no  terrors,  nor  will  the  grave  have  any 
victory,  but  through  that  faith  that  works  by  love,  my  soul  will 
triumph  over  death,  hell  and  the  grave. 

I  write  this  seriously,  and  awfully,  and  thoughtfully,  being 
under  no  excitement  from  preparations  of  opium,  or  any  other 
medicine.  But  in  a  short  time  I  fear  I  shall  not  be  able  to  say 
so,  for  unless  I  can  get  relief  some  other  way,  I  shall  have  to 
have  recourse  to  some  kind  of  an  anodyne  ;  and  in  that  case, 
whatever  expressions  I  may  use,  will  be  more  or  less  incohe- 
rent, in  proportion  to  the  irritability  of  the  nervous  system,  the 
exquisite  connection  of  soul  and  body. 

In  the  covenant  of  grace,  all  are  included  under  sin,  that 
the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  love  of  Grod  should 
abound  in  Heaven  with  the  angelic  host  over  repentant  sinners. 
Hence  Paul  felt  himself,  in  the  presence  of  Infinite  purity,  the 
chief  of  sinners,  saying,  oh!  wretched  man  that  I  am  who  shall 
deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death ;  but  joyfully  exclaims, 
I  thank  God  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  This  faithful 
saying,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners, 
Paul  considered  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  and  although  he 
looked  upon  himself  as  the  chief  of  sinners  he  could  testify 
that  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,  had  made  him 
free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death,  and  that  he  had  fought  a  good 
fight,  he  had  finished  his  course,  he  had  kept  the  faith;  hence- 
forth there  was  laid  up  for  him  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  would  give  him  at  that  day, 
and,  (0  encouraging  consideration)  not  to  him  only,  but  to 
all  that  love  his  appearing.  With  these  views  and  experience  of 
the  beloved  Paul,  I  most  cordially  unite,  according  to  my  little  ex- 
perience ;  and  with  much  more  propriety  than  Paul  can  sincere- 
ly say,  that  in  the  presence  of  infinite  purity  I  view  myelf  not 
only  the  chief  of  sinners,  but  a  wretched  sinner,  a  fool,  a  worm 
of  the  dust,  a  nothing  j  but  oh  !  that  compassionate  darling  at- 


261 

tribute  of  mercy,  which  seeks  to  save  that  which  is  lost,  that 
saw  me  when  a  great  way  off,  and  came  to  meet  me,  and  I 
humbly  hope  is  preparing  my  poor  soul  to  add  to  the  joy  in 
Heaven,  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth. 

But  I  am  writing  too  much  and  saying  too  little,  and  had 
better  mind  my  own  business,  which  if  I  am  not  mistaken  is 
to  bear  a  simple,  child-like  testimony  to  this  mercy  and  good- 
ness of  my  blessed  Saviour ;  which  will  subject  me  to  be  pitied 
by  the  wise  and  prudent  of  this  World,  as  a  fool,  or  ridiculed 
as  an  enthusiast ;  my  doctrine  considered  madness,  and  my  end 
without  honor.  Yet  I  would  not  part  with  this  child-like  be- 
lief in  Jesus  Christ,  for  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
worlds,  and  I  am  encouraged  in  this  faith  by  his  precious  tes- 
timony, where  he  says,  ^'  I  thank  thee,  0  Father,  Lord  of  hea- 
ven and  earth,  that  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
prudent,  and  revealed  them  unto  babes;  even  so  Father,  for  so 
it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight."  Oh  that  I  may  be  a  babe  in 
Christ,  and  permitted  to  cry  Abba,  Father  !  Oh  that  I  may 
have  that  precious  life  that  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  as  a  pass- 
port from  this  world  to  the  Heaven  of  Heavens. 


A  LITTLE  PRESENT 

FOB 

FRIENDS 

AND 

FRIENDLY    PEOPLE 

IN    THE    FORM   OF 

A  MISCELLANEOUS  DISCOURSE. 

BY    A 

POOR  ILLITERATE  MECHANIC. 


PREFACE. 

The  heads  only  of  the  following  Discourse  were  delivered  at 
Goose  Creek  meeting  house,  Loudon  county,  Virginia,  on  the  22d 
of  the  2nd  month,  1837,  and  taken  down  in  writing  by  a  person 
then  present,  who  subsequently  placed  the  manuscript  in  the 
hands  of  the  speaker,  with  a  request  from  his  hearers  that  he 
would  publish  it.  And  notwithstanding  he  had  hitherto  rejected 
all  such  applications,  especially  when  he  suspected  that  pedling 
and  speculation  were  the  principal  objects  of  the  Stenographer, — 
having  a  righteous  testimony  to  bear  against  making  a  mercenary 
traffic  of  gospel  truths, — yet,  the  disinterestedness  and  respecta- 
bility of  the  present  applicants  induced  him  again  to  take  the 
subject  into  serious  consideration,  when  he  apprehended  he  felt 
more  than  a  freedom  to  comply  with  the  request  by  writing  out 
the  several  heads, — of  course  there  is  now  more  than  was  then 
delivered, — which  is  offered  to  the  public  without  money  and  with- 
out price. 


2S 


DISCOURSE.* 

(See  Math.  chap.  xvi.  24;  and  Isaiah,  xi.  6,  7.) 

Since  I  took  my  seat  in  tliis  meeting,  my  mind  has  been 
arrested  by  the  unchangeable  terms  of  salvation  laid  down  by 
the  Divine  Saviour  :  "If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him 
deny  himself,  take  up  his  daily  cross,  and  follow  me;'^  and  as 
the  subject  has  spread  before  the  view  of  my  mind,  it  has 
opened  into  a  wide  field  of  instruction,  and  whether  I  shall 
be  able  to  lay  it  fully  before  this  large  and  interesting  assem- 
bly, depends  much  upon  Divine  assistance,  and  the  Christian 
sympathy  and  feeling  of  others.  As  I  feel  very  poor  and 
weak,  and  as  the  fervent  and  effectual  prayer  of  the  righteous 
availeth  much,  I  feelingly  desire  the  prayers  of  all  that  can 
feel  for  and  with  me,  to  enable  me  to  fulfil  the  important  trust 
of  a  gospel  minister,  to  the  honor  of  my  Creator,  the  edifica- 
tion of  my  fellow  pilgrims,  and  the  peace  of  my  own  mind. 
It  was  in  a  view  similar  to  this  great  testimony  of  Christ  that 
the  divinely  inspired  prophet  Isaiah  held  forth  this  language 
when  alluding  to  the  fulness  of  the  glorious  gospel  dispensa- 
tion :  "The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leo- 
pard shall,  lie  down  with  the  kid  ;''  "  The  cow  and  the  bear 
shall  feed ;  their  young  shall  lie  down  together ;  and  the  lion 
shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox.^^  Now  the  prophet  was  not  only 
a  righteous  man,  but  a  true  philosopher,  and  understood  the 
astonishing  variety  embraced  in  the  wonderful  creature  called 
man^  viewing  him,  no^doubt,  as  he  ought  to  be  viewed,  as  the 

"  Connection  exquisite  of  distant  worlds  ! 
Distinguish'd  link  in  being's  endless  chain  ! 
Midway  from  nothing  to  the  Deity.'' 

"  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth — 
and  he  said,  let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light. ^'  "In  the 
beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  GoD,  and 
the  Word  was  God  :  all  things  were  made  by  him,  and  with- 

*The  MS.  of  the  following  Discourse  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the 
printer  by  a  respectable  merchant,  with  a  request  that  it  might  be  pub- 
lished— together  with  another  edition  of  ".4  Word  of  Exhortation.^' 


•268 

out  Mm  was  nothing  made  that  was  made :  In  Mm  was  life, 
and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men/'  In  these  last  days  GoD 
hath  spoken  by  his  Son  (Jesus  Christ),  whom  he  hath  ap- 
pointed heir  of  all  things,  and  by  whom  he  made  the  worlds. 
Thus  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  contain  the 
most  important  history,  the  purest  morality,  and  the  finest 
strains  of  poetry  and  eloquence,  that  can  be  found  in  any 
book,  in  whatever  age  or  language  it  may  have  been  composed, 
tells  us  that  this  wonderful  phenomenon  of  the  material  uni- 
verse was  created  by  the  eternal  Word  in  six  days,  and  pro- 
nounced by  Infinite  Wisdom  to  be  good. 

"  Look  nature  through,  'tis  neat  gradation  all ; 
Ey  what  minute  degrees  her  scale  ascends  ! 
Each  middle  nature  joined  at  each  extreme. 
To  that  above  it  joined,  to  that  beneath! 
Parts  into  parts,  reciprocally  shot, 
Abhor  divorce  :  what  love  of  union  reigns : 
Here  dormant  matter  waits  a  call  to  life  : 
Half  life,  half  death,  joined  there  ;" — 

As  in  the  egg  and  some  of  the  lower  orders  of  animal  exist- 
ence, particularly  a  species  of  shellfish,  called  the  polypus — 


'*  here  life  and  sense ; 

There  sense  from  reason  steals  a  glimmering  ray  ;" — 

As  in  the  fox,  and  the  dog  and  some  other  animals  subservient 
to  man,  whose  actions,  at  times,  evidently  appear  to  partake  of 
something  like  reason;  but 

'' Reason  shines  out  in  man.     O  how  preserved 

The  chain  unbroken,  upward  to  the  realms 

Of  incorporeal  life  ;  those  realms  of  bliss, 

Where  death  has  no  dominion.     Grant  an  earthly  part 

And  an  etherial;  grant  the  soul  of  man 

Eternal ;  or  in  man  the  series  ends." 

The  animal  body  of  man  was  the  finishing  work  of  all  ani- 
mated nature,  and  consequently  the  highest  order  of  terrestrial 
creation ;  being  compounded  of  the  four  principal  elements — 
Earth,  Air,  Water  and  Fire.  As  either  of  these  predominat- 
ed in  the  animal  economy,  it  gave  rise  to  the  constitutional 
character  or  complexion,  called  by  the  physician  and  philoso- 
pher— melancholy,  sanguine,  phlegmatic  and  choleric.    Hence 


260 

arises  that  astonishing  variety  in  the  appearances  and  actions 
of  men  and  women,  as  creatures  of  this  world.  As  the  ani- 
mal man  possessed  the  nature  and  propensities  of  all  other  an- 
imals, being  superior  to  them  all, — so  that  strong  law  of  ani- 
mated nature,  called  self  or  self-will,  was  commensurate  with 
or  equal  to  his  standing  in  the  scale  of  beings ;  that  is,  his 
self-will  was  as  much  stronger  as  he  was  superior  to  other  an- 
imals ;  being  the  spirit  of  the  animal  so  essentially  necessary 
to  its  perfection,  and  in  man  was  to  be  governed  by  his  supe- 
rior rational,  immortal  soul,  which  was  created  in  the  image  of 
God,  who  said — Let  us  create  man  in  our  own  image :  Grod 
being  an  all-powerful,  incomprehe"nsible,  eternal  mind  or  spi- 
rit, that  pervades  immensity  of  space;  a  being  whose  centre 
is  every  where,  and  whose  circumference  is  no  where ;  the  God 
and  father  of  all,  that  is  above  all,  through  all,  and  in  all ;  in 
whom  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being.  If  the  soul  of 
man  is  made  in  the  image  or  likeness  of  such  a  being  as  this, 
it  must  be  spiritual,  infinite  in  its  nature,  everlasting  in  its 
duration.  Hence  the  correctness  of  the  conclusion  that  the 
soul  of  man  is  the  lowest  order  of  celestial,  and  his  body  is 
the  highest  order  of  terrestrial  creation ;  which  is  confirmed 
by  the  testimony  of  the  inspired  psalmist,  ^' Thou  madesthim 
a  little  lower  than  the  angels,  and  hast  crowned  him  with 
honor  and  glory ;  thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the 
work  of  thy  hands;  thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet.'^ 
Thus  man  is  placed  before  us  a  superior  being,  composed  of 
two  natures,  material  and  immaterial :  the  first,  being  a  part 
of  the  material  universe,  was  designed  by  its  author  for  change 
and  decay,  as  it  is  written,  ''  Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust 
thou  shalt  return."  The  second  is  an  immaterial  being,  pos- 
sessing an  immortal  life  that  can  never  be  annihilated.  It  was 
into  this  spiritual,  or,  as  the  apostle  calls  it,  the  inner  man  of 
the  heart,  that  God  breathed  the  breath  of  life,  and  it  became 
a  living  soul — not  a  living  body,  for  the  body  had  been  com- 
pleted in  all  its  organic  structure  in  the  finishing  of  animated 
nature,  and,  breathing  the  atmospheric  air  that  surrounds  this 
globe,  it  became  a  living  creature;  which  life  continued  seve- 
ral hundred  years  after  Adam  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and 
therefore  could  not  have  been  the  life  involved  in  the  solemn 
declaration  of  Jehovah,  when  he  said,  the  day  thou  eatest 
thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die.     But  the  life  that  was  lost  by 

23* 


270 

transgression  was  that  precious  life  of  God  that  was  breathed 
into  man's  immortal  soul ;  that  not  only  made  him  a  pure, 
free,  intelligent  being,  but  endowed  him  with  a  capacity  for 
the  everlasting  contemplation  of  infinite  goodness  and  perfec- 
tion, placing  him  amongst  the  constellations  of  heaven,  where 
he  might  shine  with  new  accessions  of  glory,  and  brighten  to 
all  eternity,  where  the  morning  stars  sing  together,  and  all  the 
sons  of  God  forever  shout  for  joy. 

But  this  wonderful  being,  created  to  glorify  God  and  enjoy 
him  for  ever,  gave  way  to  temptation,  which  is  the  best  de- 
scribed by  the  apostle  James,  where  he  says,  ^^Let  no  man 
say,  when  he  is  tempted,  I  am  tempted  of  God  \  for  God  can- 
not be  tempted  with  evil,  neither  tempteth  he  any  man ;  but 
man  is  tempted  when  he  is  drawn  away  by  his  own  lust  and 
enticed;  when  lust  hath  conceived,  it  bringeth  forth  sin;  and 
sin,  when  it  is  finished,  bringeth  forth  death/^  This  is  the 
death  that  Adam  died  the  day  he  transgressed  the  Divine  com- 
mand, having  lost  that  life  that  is  hid  with  Clirist  in  God  ; 
the  stream  of  heavenly  light  and  love  that  united  him  to  his 
Heavenly  Father,  which  constituted  the  only  substantial  soui'ce 
of  rational  happiness  in  time  and  eternity,  was  cut  off,  and  his 
soul  fell  from  its  dignified  station  in  the  divine  harmony,  (when 
it  governed  the  animal  man  with  all  its  propensities,  making 
them  subservient  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  intend- 
ed,) and  became  a  slave  to  that  cruel,  selfish  nature,  em- 
blematically described  by  the  wolf,  the  leopard,  the  bear,  and 
the  lion  ;  having  lost  the  innocent  angelic  covering  of  GoD^S 
righteousness,  in  vain  did  he  attempt  to  hide  his  nakedness 
with  a  patched  covering  of  fig-leaves; — there  was  nothing  now 
so  suitable  to  his  state  and  condition  as  to  be  clothed  with  the 
skins  of  beasts.  Therefore  the  Lord's  prophet  was  bid  to  make 
use  of  the  interesting  figure  contained  in  the  text.  The  lamb, 
the  kid,  the  cow,  and  the  ox,  are  emblems  of  good  men  and 
women — while  the  wolf,  the  leopard,  the  bear,  and  the  lion, 
are  figures  of  the  wicked.  These  last,  we  know,  if  they  were 
confined  in  a  small  enclosure,  would  cruelly  destroy  each  other, 
while  the  four  innocent  animals  in  the  same  enclosure  would 
dwell  harmoniously  together.  It  was  the  innocent  nature  of 
the  lamb  that  ruled  in  Abel,  that  made  his  offering  so  accepta- 
ble to  God,  while  the  cruel,  carnivorous  nature  of  the  wolf  was 
producing  in  Cain  jealousy,  envy,  hatred,  and  murder;  so  that 


271 

it  was  marked  in  the  very  lines  and  configuration  of  his  face- 
Hence  the  expostulation  of  the  Almighty  with  him,  saying, 
*^Why  art  thou  wroth,  and  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen?  if 
thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted  ?  but  if  thou  d  ^est 
not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door/'  It  was  this  wrathful,  selfish, 
cruel,  carnivorous  nature  that  so  increased  and  predominated 
over  all  good  in  the  antediluvial  world,  that  mankind  became 
so  di'eadfully  wicked  that  they  were  destroyed  by  an  awful 
deluge. 

Noah  and  his  family,  in  whom  the  most  of  the  innocent  na- 
ture reigned,  was  saved  to  re-people  the  earth ;  and  notwith- 
standing his  own  uprightness,  the  same  evil  genius  made  its 
appearance  in  his  family.  The  same  was  prefigured  in  Ishmael 
and  Esau,  as  allegorically  alluded  to  by  the  apostle  Paul,  and 
therefore  the  paradoxical  difficulties  that  some  have  discovered 
in  the  writings  of  that  truly  spiritually-minded  saint,  with 
respect  to  the  Almighty's  loving  Jacob  and  hating  Esau,  is 
easily  understood;  Jacob  being  in  the  innocent  nature  of  the 
lamb,  while  Esau  was  in  that  of  the  wolf,  the  leopard,  the  bear, 
and  the  lion^  where  cursed  self  reigns  with  all  its  cruel,  blood-" 
thirsty  violence — the  fountain  of  hatred,  envy,  jealousy,  and 
all  those  malevolent  passions  and  propensities  that  make  man 
the  enemy  of  man ;  producing  not  only  bloody  and  destructive 
war,  but  all  that  dark  catalogue  of  crime  that  characterises  a 
fallen  world  of  intelligent  beings  separated  from  the  Divine 
harmony — justifying  the  correctness  of  a  further  view  of  the 
apostle  James,  when  he  says,  "  From  whence  come  wars  and 
fightings  among  you  ?  come  they  not  hence,  even  of  your  lusts 
that  war  in  your  members  ?  Ye  lust,  and  have  not :  ye  kill, 
and  desire  to  have,  and  cannot  obtain.  Ye  fight  and  war." 
Oh  I  the  confused  noise  of  garments  rolled  in  blood  I  Oh  !  this 
direful  disease  of  the  soul,  that  commenced  with  the  fall  of 
man  !  when  the  Lamb  was  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  and  a  door  was  opened  at  which  a  dreadful  wolf  has 
entered,  and  made  great  devastation  among  the  flock  and  family 
of  God.  This  inveterate  foe  or  enemy  to  man's  happiness 
again  showed  itself  in  the  elder  sons  of  Jacob,  when  they  sold 
their  brother  Joseph  into  slavery,  an  act  of  cruelty  and  injus- 
tice that  has  continued  from  generation  to  generation,  down  to 
the  present  day ;  and  is  certainly  one  of  the  dark  shades  that 
tarnish  the  lustre  of  our  excellent  republican  government,  that 


272 

miglit  be  more  and  more  the  admiration  of  the  world ;  a  shade 
that  can  only  be  efFcctually  and  consistently  removed  by  the 
shining  of  the  same  sun  of  righteousness  that  shone  forth  in 
Joseph^  that  enlightened  the  whole  circle  in  which  he  moved, 
and  opened  a  way  where  there  appeared  no  way,  not  only  for 
his  emancipation  from  slavery,  but  his  exaltation  to  the  high- 
est station  of  trust  and  honor,  where  he  manifested  the  most 
merciful,  forgiving  and  benevolent  spirit  towards  those  that 
had  cruelly  treated  him,  by  tearing  him,  as  it  were,  from  the 
arms  of  a  fond  and  affectionate  parent,  and  selling  him  to  the 
Ishmaelitish  merchants,  that  dealt  in  slaves.  Oh  I  that  the 
descendants  of  Africa  could  be  influenced  by  the  same  blessed 
spirit !  The  same  blessed  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  and 
Joseph,  could  open  a  way  where  there  appears  no  way,  so  that 
the  master  and  slave  could  settle  their  own  business  in  justice, 
equity,  harmony  and  peace,  without  the  interference  of  politi- 
cal abolitionists,  whose  zealous  exertions,  notwithstanding  the 
sincerity  of  their  motives,  appear  to  me  to  be  obstructing  the 
peaceable  kingdom  of  Christ.  I  have  a  case  exactly  in  point 
that  now  occurs  to  me,  that  will  be  an  additional  matter  of 
fact  argument  in  favor  of  my  position.  There  lived,  some 
sixty  or  seventy  years  ago,  not  twenty  miles  distant  from  the 
place  of  my  nativity,  a  young  colored  man  that  was  a  slave, 
and  being  brought  into  a  strait  and  diflftculty  in  his  mind  from 
the  fear  of  death,  he  entered,  like  Jacob  and  Joseph,  into  co- 
venant with  God;  and  witnessing  the  regenerating  power  of 
eternal  truth,  it  set  his  soul  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death.  Thus  become  a  changed  man,  the  light  of  his  meek 
and  humble  spirit  so  shone  before  his  master,  that  he  glorified 
God  by  an  act  of  justice  and  mercy  in  setting  his  slave  free, 
and  that  too  without  any  solicitation  from  man.  And  the 
young  man  that  was  thus  freed  gave  abundant  evidence  that 
he  was  worthy  the  blessing  he  enjoyed,  by  continuing  to  fol- 
low his  Saviour  in  the  path  of  humble  industr}^,  all  the  days 
of  his  life,  which  was  lengthened  out  to  more  than  ninety 
years.  Oh  I  that  every  slave  and  every  slaveholder  in  my  be- 
loved country  would  go  and  do  likewise.  The  first  would  re- 
alize the  estimable  blessing  embraced  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ : 
^'If  the  Son  and  Truth  set  you  free,  then  are  you  free  in- 
deed ;''  while  the  second  would  fulfil  one  of  his  greatest  com- 
mandments, that  embraces  practical  righteousness  in  its  bless- 


'27'6 

ed  simplicity,  "  As  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do 
ye  even  so  unto  them/'  Oh  !  that  our  modern  philanthropists 
who,  like  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  are  busy  and  troubled  about 
many  things,  and  who  are  complaining  and  casting  reflections 
on  their  brethren  and  sisters  who  may  be  afraid  of  being  im- 
pertinently officious  without  the  gracious  word  from  the  Di- 
vine Master, — I  say,  0  that  these  would  attend  more  to  the 
one  thing  needful,  and  choose,  like  Mary,  that  better  part,  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God,  which  can  never  be 
taken  away  from  them. 

But  to  return  from  a  digression  which  some  may  be  ready 
to  think  improper.  The  same  enemy  of  man  was  again 
prefigured  in  Phai-aoh  king  of  Egypt,  the  same  was  also  in 
Amalek,  Moab,  and  all  the  enemies  of  Israel,  influencing  the 
apostate  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah,  the  priests  and  false  pro- 
phets— causing  the  Lord  to  mourn  over  his  people,  through 
the  mouth  of  his  true  prophet,  in  language  like  this :  "  Oh, 
my  people  I  they  that  lead  thee  have  caused  thee  to  err,  and 
have  destroyed  the  way  of  thy  paths/'  Thus  heaping  up 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  crowding  a  dreadful  account, 
that  people  whom  He  had  known  above  all  the  families  of  the 
earth,  had  forsaken  him,  the  fountain  of  living  water,  and  had 
hewn  out  for  themselves  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  would 
hold  no  water-  So  that  when  the  fulness  of  time  had  come, 
and  God  sent  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law 
to  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  they  might  re- 
ceive the  adoption  of  sons,  he  came  to  his  own,  but  his  own 
received  him  not;  but  to  as  many  as  received  him  he  gave 
them  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God;  and  if  children,  then 
heirs ;  heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ.  But  such 
was  the  corrupt  and  desperately  wicked  state  of  the  Jewish 
priesthood,  the  arrogance  and  spiritual  pride  of  the  high  pro- 
fessors of  religion,  the  sordid,  selfish,  avaricious,  hard-hearted 
state  of  the  great  mass  of  the  Jewish  nation,  that  the  Son  and 
Sent  of  God  was  constrained  to  tell  them  that  they  were  the 
children  of  the  devil,  and  the  lust  of  their  father  they  would 
do,  who  was  a  liar  and  a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and 
abode  not  in  the  truth ;  and  for  bearing  testimony  or  witness 
to  the  Eternal  Truth,  they  not  only  rejected  him,  but  used 
all  the  power  they  were  clothed  with,  and  put  the  man  that 
had  told  them  the  truth,  and  that  was  made  of  a  woman,  to 


274 

the  ignominious  death  of  the  cross.  While  the  Lamb  of  God, 
that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  remained  a  propitiatory 
sacrifice  for  all  that  believe  in  him  and  experience  repentance, 
to  the  end  of  the  world,  the  Jew  as  well  as  the  Gentile.  Thus 
the  darling  attributes  of  everlasting  mercy  and  goodness  tri- 
umphed over  all  the  power  of  darkness,  opening  a  way  for  the 
restoration  of  a  fallen  world  to  its  primeval  state. 

When  the  blessed  Jesus  beheld  the  city  of  the  Jews  that 
was  the  subject,  as  it  were,  of  a  thousand  prophecies,  he  wept 
over  it  in  language  like  this — "  Oh  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou 
that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto 
thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  as  a  hen 
gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not. 
Your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.  Oh  hadst  thou  but 
known  in  this  thy  day  the  things  that  belong  to  thy  peace ; 
but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes.^^  The  destruction  of 
that  devoted  city  by  the  Romans,  and  the  dispersion  of  the 
Jews,  is  a  catastrophe  that  has  no  parallel  on  the  page  of  history^ 
fulfilling  literally  that  remarkably  prophetic  declaration  of  the 
divine  Saviour,  "They  shall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
they  shall  be  led  away  captive  into  all  nations,  and  Jerusalem 
shall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  till  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles  shall  be  falfilled."  And  when  we  take  into  consider- 
ation that  there  remains  but  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
years  of  the  two  thousand  granted  to  the  Gentile  world,  and 
that  professing  Christians  have  apostatized  further  from  the 
precepts  and  example  of  their  Holy  Lawgiver  than  ever  the 
Jews  did  from  the  law  of  Moses,  it  is  a  rational  conclusion 
that  tremendous  and  awful  judgments  will  be  poured  forth 
upon  Christendom  in  proportion  to  their  high  and  holy  profes- 
sion. For  the  Saviour  says,  "Where  there  is  much  given, 
there  is  much  required  :  and  he  that  knoweth  his  master's  will, 
and  doeth  it  not,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes,^^  Not- 
withstanding the  ushering  in  of  the  glorious  gospel  dispensa- 
tion was  attended  with  the  heavenly  anthem.  Glory  to  God  in 
the  highest,  on  earth  peace  and  good  will  to  all  men,  the  same 
evil  spirit  that  appeared  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  in  the  infant 
state  of  the  human  family,  made  its  appearance  in  the  infiint 
state  of  the  church  of  Christ,  presenting  a  temptation  to  the 
lowest  and  most  grovelling  propensity  of  the  human  mind — 
a  propensity  which,  whenever  given  way  to,  is  peculiarly  cal- 


275 

culated  to  make  man  a  devil ;  and  hence  the  declaration  of  the 
Saviour,  "  Have  I  not  chosen  you  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a 
devil?"  He  spoke  of  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon.  This 
man's  besetting  sin  appears  to  have  been  the  love  of  money ; 
and  notwithstanding  he  belonged  to  the  first  Christian  meeting 
that  was  blessed  with  the  ministry  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world, 
and  had  actually  received  from  him  a  commission  to  preach 
the  everlasting  gospel,  and  to  travel  in  the  service,  he  had 
never  submitted  to  the  conditions  contained  in  the  text — ^^  If 
any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  first  deny  himself,  then 
take  up  his  daily  cross  and  follow  me/'  Therefore  his  cursed 
selfishness  strengthened  his  love  of  money,  and  led  him  to  as- 
similate with  his  own  likeness,  the  priests  and  their  satellites, 
who  are  not  only  lovers  of  money,  but  the  greatest  enemies  of 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  they  bought  (as  they  supposed)  of  this 
traitor,  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver. 

Poor,  unhappy,  melancholy  money-monger !  Instead  of  sub- 
mitting to  the  unchangeable  terms  of  salvation  laid  down  by 
thy  blessed  Saviour,  thou  sufferdest  thy  cursed  selfish  lust  for 
money,  and  the  friendship  of  the  priests,  to  conceive  and  bring 
forth  sin ;  and  that  sin,  when  finished,  produced  the  death  of 
the  Lamb,  and  the  carnivorous  reign  of  the  Wolf;  and  there- 
fore thy  name,  0  wretched  man  that  thou  art,  instead  of  being 
gloriously  enrolled  upon  the  records  of  eternity,  is  only  to  be 
found  in  the  long  living  annals  of  infamy.  Seeing  then,  that 
the  love  of  money  not  only  led  one  of  the  first  Christians  to 
commit  the  unnatural,  unmanly  and  wicked  act  of  suicide,  is 
it  any  marvel  that  it  should  have  occupied  so  prominent  a 
place  in  the  last  exercises  of  that  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles, 
that,  when  writing  to  his  son  Timothy,  he  warns  him  to  flee 
from  all  its  consequences,  adding,  ^'  they  that  would  be  rich, 
fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and  many  hurtful  and  fool- 
ish lusts,  which  drown  men  in  perdition  and  destruction ;  for 
the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil ;  which  while  some 
coveted  after,  they  have  erred  from  the  faith,  and  pierced  them- 
selves through  with  many  sorrows/' 

I  now  feel  a  freedom  in  the  ability  I  may  be  endowed  with, 
to  apply  the  subject  more  particularly  to  the  several  states  in 
this  large  company  of  men  and  women,  who,  notwithstanding 
they  may  be  composed  principally  of  Friends,  and  friendly 
people,  are  before  me  as  an  epitome  of  the  great  family  of  man- 


276 

kind,  whose  animal  bodies  being  compounded  of  the  four 
principal  elements — earth,  air,  water  and  fire — I  shall  divide 
them  into  four  classes,  and  denominate  them  melancholy,  san- 
guine, phlegmatic  and  choleric. 

The  man  or  woman  in  whom  the  element  of  earth  predomi- 
nates, so  as  to  produce  that  peculiar  constitutional  trait  of 
character  called  melancholy,  in  their  unregenerate  state  baye 
all  the  characteristics  of  the  wolf;  and  the  Lord's  prophet  could 
not  have  been  more  happy  in  his  choice  of  a  figure,  had  he 
searched  the  whole  chain  of  animated  nature.  The  skulking 
solitary  habits  of  the  wolf,  who  generally  retires  in  the  day- 
time to  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  swamp,  or  the  gloomiest 
glens  of  the  forest,  only  coming  forth  to  i:?rowl  and  devour  in- 
nocent and  helpless  animals  under  cover  of  the  darkness  of 
night, — he  whose  carnivorous  appetite  can  never  be  satiated, 
presents  the  strong  law  of  nature  called  self,  in  one  of  its  most 
incorrigible  attitudes ;  and  the  reasonable  beings  whom  it  re- 
presents, that  will  not  submit  to  the  terms  of  salvation  laid 
down  by  the  blessed  Saviour,  to  deny  this  cursed  self,  and  take 
up  the  cross,  are  undoubtedly  the  most  unhappy  of  mankind. 
This  gloomy,  hidden,  reserved  disposition  enables  them  to 
keep  their  sorrows  to  themselves,  till  in  the  accumulation  of 
imaginary  troubles,  their  animal  spirits,  and  indeed  their  whole 
system,  become  so  afiected  as  to  produce  that  dreadful  disease 
called  complexional  melancholy,  which  is  as  hereditary,  and  al- 
most as  incurable  as  the  pulmonary  consumption;  and  all  the  cases 
of  suicide,  from  Judas  down  to  the  present  day,  have  sprung 
from  this  source.  I  know  of  no  state  more  to  be  pitied,  or  one 
that  has  stronger  claims  on  the  sympathies  of  the  true  Chris- 
tian disciple ;  and  it  seems  as  if  the  beloved  Paul  might  have 
been  led  to  describe  this  state,  when  he  so  emphatically  ex- 
claimed, ^^Oh  wretched  man  that  I  am!''  who  shall  deliver  me 
from  the  body  of  this  death  ?"  and  oh  that  they  could  see  like 
this  precious  saint,  that  it  is  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  who, 
when  suffering  in  the  flesh  without  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  and  baptized  into  this  dreadful  state,  cried 
out,  '^My  God!  my  God!  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?'^ 
When  these  make  profession  of  religion  without  being  regene- 
rated and  born  again,  they  are  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  and 
hence  the  origin  of  hypocrisy  and  deception  in  the  religious 
world ;  for  this  complexion  being  naturally  disposed  to  be  re- 


277 

llgious,  there  is  more  of  them  than  all  the  other  three  put  to- 
gether. Their  steady,  solid  deportment,  and  very  serious, 
solemn  countenances,  enable  them  to  pass,  as  religious  men 
and  women,  for  more  than  they  are  worth;  and  they  are  put 
forward  in  religious  communities,  as  the  leaders  of  the  people. 
This  was,  I  api3rehend,  the  state  of  Israel  in  the  apostacy,  when 
the  Lord,  through  his  prophet,  solemnly  reproved  them;  and 
om-  Saviour  advises  his  disciples  against  carrjnng  their  religion 
in  their  faces,  saying:  ^^  When  ye  fast,  be  not  •  as  the  hypo- 
crites, of  a  sad  countenance ;  for  they  disfigure  their  faces,  that 
they  may  appear  to  men  to  fast.'^  Nothing  is  so  obnoxious  to 
this  infinitely  pure  Being,  as  a  hypocritical  state ;  and  indeed 
it  may  be  said  at  this  door  the  enemy  entered  and  made  great 
devastation  in  the  Christian  church,  and  none  have  suffered 
more  according  to  their  relative  numbers,  than  the  Society  of 
Friends. 

And  here  permit  me  to  declare  the  sentiments  of  my  heart. 
Independent  of  all  sectarian  prejudices,  I  verily  believe  the 
people  called  Quakers,  or  Society  of  Friends,  as  they  stood  a 
distinct  organized  body  of  Christians,  in  the  days  of  Fox, 
Penn  and  Barclay,  were  nearer  the  primitive  standard  than 
any  others,  both  as  respects  doctrine  and  discipline.  I  loved 
them  in  my  infancy,  and  although  not  born  a  member,  I  re- 
ceived my  earliest  and  best  impressions  among  them; 
and  during  my  juvenile  infatuation,  when  marching  in 
the  ranks  as  a  soldier,  my  heart  elated  with  the  sound  of  the 
martial  music,  and  the  feathered  foppery  of  the  regimentaled 
warrior,  the  very  sight  of  a  plain,  steady,  consistent  Friend, 
either  young  or  old,  filled  me  with  respect  and  awe.  And 
when  I  arrived  at  maturer  age,  and  more  serious  consideration, 
I  was  united  with  them  in  religious  fellowship,  and  few  that 
have  ever  come  among  them  have  less  cause  to  speak  of  their 
failings,  or  uncover  their  weaknesses,  than  I  have ;  because 
few  have  ever  been  treated  with  more  brotherly  kindness  and 
affection ;  and  however  diversified  with  affliction  the  remainder 
of  my  life  may  prove,  I  shall  ever  consider  it  one  of  the  great- 
est blessings  that  my  lot  was  cast  among  them;  nor  can  I  con- 
ceive of  any  greater  trouble  in  this  world,  than  to  be  separated 
from  the  Society,  and  lose  the  unity  of  the  spirit  and  the 
bond  of  peace.  Nevertheless  I  dare  not  omit  the  discharge  of 
a  duty  that  appears  to  be  required  of  me — to   endeavor  to 

24 


278 

point  out  some  of  tlie  causes  that  have  led  to  the  present 
weak  state  of  Society.  Therefore,  bear  with  me,  beloved 
Friends,  for  flattery  and  smooth  tales  may  feed  fools,  but  it 
will  not  be  acceptable  to  intelligent,  honest  people ;  much  less 
will  it  please  Him  whom  I  would  wish  to  please  in  the  gospel 
of  his  dear  Son. 

I  have  already  said  that  there  were  more  men  and  women 
of  a  melancholy  complexion  professors  of  religion,  and  I  may 
add  especially  in  the  Society  of  Friends :  their  quiet,  steady, 
unobtrusive  habits — their  silent  retirement — exemplary  in- 
dustry and  fi-ugality — all  unite  in  forming  an  asylum  peculiar- 
ly fitted  to  a  melancholy  complexion,  where  its  first  nature 
may  remain  unsubdued;  or,  as  our  Saviour  says,  the  strong 
man  armed  may  keep  the  palace,  and  his  goods  be  at  ease; 
where  men  and  women  that  have  never  denied  self,  never  wit- 
nessed the  wolf  to  dwell  with  the  lamb,  may  fill  the  most  im- 
portant stations  in  Society,  if  they  are  only  steady  in  their  at- 
tendance of  meetings,  exemplary  as  to  plainness  of  speech, 
behaviour  and  apparel ;  and  more  especially  if  they  are  of 
respectable  connections,  and  are  in  the  way  of  making  money, 
and  can  lend  their  poorer  brethren  a  few  hundred  dollars  every 
year  on  usury — notwithstanding  lending  money  to  a  brother 
on  usury  or  interest  is  condemned  and  positively  forbidden  by 
the  infinitely  wise  Jehovah,  through  his  faithful  servants, 
Moses,  Nehemiah,  Dcivid,  Proverbs,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 
and  in  these  last  days  byhisbelovedson  Jesus  Christ.  Friends 
not  having  recognised  it  as  an  evil,  it  by  no  means  disqualifies 
them  from  being  appointed  clerks,  overseers,  elders  and  even 
preachers;  and  the  apostle's  excellent  advice  to  his  son  Tim- 
othy, when  making  such  appointments,  not  being  attended  to, 
in  many  meetings,  the  dreadful  consequences  that  Paul  allud- 
ed to  have  been  realized ;  they  have  been  puifed  up  with  pride 
and  too  many  have  fallen  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil, 
ending,  a  disgrace  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  a  burthen  on 
Society.  In  the  small  circle  in  which  I  have  moved,  I  have, 
alas,  known  too  many  Friends,  and  among  them  three  minis- 
ters, two  of  which  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean,  come  to  this 
most  wretched  and  melancholy  end.  I  am  aware  I  may  lay 
myself  open  to  censure  by  publishing  such  things ;  but  the 
time  has  come  that  the  hidden  things  of  Esau  must  be  brought 
to  light,  and  effects  traced  to  causes  :  for  I  have  no  doubt  but 


279 

that  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  weak  state  of  Society 
is  the  injudicious  appointment  or  promotion  of  Friends,  both 
young  and  old,  to  important  stations,  that  are  what  the  apos- 
tle Paul  called  JSfoviccs,  that  is,  men  and  women  without  heart- 
felt religious  experience ;  having  never  denied  self,  or  witness- 
ed the  wolf  to  dwell  with  the  lamb.  Hence  the  spiritual 
pride,  religious  consequence  and  malignant  enthusiasm  that  cha- 
racterized the  belligerent  party  among  Friends,  in  the  late  un- 
happy and  disgraceful  controversy. 

And  here  I  will  meet  the  sceptical  cavillers,  and  more  or- 
thodox enemies  of  Friends — one  of  which,  a  neighboring 
physician,  informed  me  that  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  faculty 
that  there  were  more  cases  of  suicide  occurred  in  the  Society 
of  Friends  than  in  any  other  society.  Since  which  I  have 
been  informed,  by  respectable  authority,  that  it  was  the  pre- 
vailing opinion  among  the  same  class  in  England.  Admitting 
it  to  be  the  fact,  there  being  so  many  more  melancholy  people 
belonging  to  the  Society,  for  reasons  already  given,  rationally 
accounts  for  it,  without  leaving  a  stigma  on  the  principles  of 
the  Christian  religion  as  professed  by  Friends.  Indeed,  I  have 
no  doubt  but  the  greater  part  of  the  Friends  of  the  first  con- 
vincement  were  of  this  constitutional  make;  but  as  the  great 
doctrine  of  regeneration  and  the  new  birth  was  the  burthen  of 
their  ministry,  they  had  experimental  knowledge  of  it  within 
themselves,  and  knew  Christ,  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world,  to  bring  into  subjection  all  their 
wolfish  nature,  and  establish  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which 
Jesus  emphatically  declared  was  within.  Hence  their  non- 
resistance,  their  love  for  each  other,  their  unexampled  patience 
under  suffering,  and  steady  perseverance  in  well-doing  to  a 
peaceable  and  happy  conclusion.  But  such  as  did  not  witness 
this  change  of  heart,  but  retained  a  part  of  their  first  nature, 
not  having  the  same  swamp  of  worldly-mindedness,  or  com- 
fortable glen  of  money-making,  to  retire  to,  like  the  Quakers 
of  the  present  day,  in  consequence  of  an  unjust  and  cruel  law 
then  existing  in  England, — by  which  they  were  dragged  from 
their  religious  meetings,  arraigned  before  a  despotic  tribunal, 
where  the  oath  of  allegiance  being  tendered,  which  they 
could  not  take  for  conscience  sake,  their  real  estate  was  con- 
fiscated for  life,  and  their  personal  estate  for  ever,  and  their 
bodies  imprisoned  during  the  king's  pleasure :  I  say,  such  of 


280 

tlie  primitive  Quakers  as  remained  in  the  mixture,  and  were 
like  Ephraim,  a  cake  not  turned,  sliowed  their  wolfish  nature 
by  the  same  wild,  fanatical  howlings  and  eccentric  wanderings 
that  have  hung  upon  the  rear  of  the  Christian  church  in  all 
ages,  from  the  hateful  Nicolaitans  alluded  to  by  John  in  his 
Revelations,  down  to  the  wrong-headed  enthusiasts  of  the  pre- 
sent day.  Witness  John  Parrott's  insignificant  quibble  about 
rising  in  the  time  of  public  prayer,  which  ended  in  his  decid- 
ed opposition  to  Fox,  Penn  and  Barclay,  and  becoming  one  of 
the  most  subtle  and  bitter  persecutors  of  our  early  Friends ; 
witness,  too,  the  fanatical  ranterism  of  Story  and  Wilkinson, 
opposing  the  established  order  and  discipline  of  Society,  which 
ended  in  a  similar  manner. 

Oh !  how  sorrowful  the  consideration,  that  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ,  embracing  a  system  of  ethics  so  pure,  so  hea- 
venly, so  rational,  so  peculiarly  calculated  to  make  mankind 
happy  in  time  and  in  eternity,  should  be  so  shamefully  man- 
gled and  perverted  by  that  man  of  sin  and  son  of  perdition, 
when  the  evil  can  so  easily  and  certainly  be  prevented  by  sub- 
mitting to  the  unchangeable  terms  contained  in  the  text. 
What  a  pity  that  a  people  that  the  Lord  Almighty  raised  up 
for  the  purpose  of  reviving  and  preserving  primitive  Christi- 
anity, who  were  led  to  assume  the  awful  responsibility  of  be- 
ing the  friends  of  Christ,  to  do  whatever  he  commanded  them, 
should  by  their  disobedience  be  only  the  transient  glory  of  a 
couple  of  centuries,  when  it  was  designed  in  the  councils  of 
infinite  wisdom  they  should  be  an  eternal  excellency — the 
joy  of  the  whole  earth,  A  people  that  ^have  proclaimed  to 
the  world  that  they  have  submitted  to  the  terms  laid  down  by 
Christ,  by  placing  self-denial  on  the  forehead  of  their  high 
and  holy  profession,  but  have  suffered  an  insidious  enemy  to 
draw  them  so  far  away  from  the  weightier  matters  of  God's 
holy  law,  judgment,  mercy  and  faith,  as  to  be  in  danger  of  be- 
ing engulfed  in  the  same  vortex  that  has  swallowed  up  other 
reformers  from  the  church  of  Rome. 

Oh !  that  the  precious  visited  youth  would  arise  and  shake 
themselves  from  the  dust  of  the  earth — the  love  of  money — 
the  love  of  superficial  learning — the  love  of  fame— the  love  of 
speculation,  and  those  vain  babblings  that  are  leading  them 
away  from  the  religion  of  Jesus  in  its  blessed  simplicity  into 
the  broad  way  that  must  lead  to  destruction.     Oh  !  that  they 


281 

would  put  on  the  beautiful  garments  of  primitive  Christianity, 
that  they  might  be  judges  as  at  the  first,  and  counsellors  as  at 
the  beginning — such  ministers  of  the  Lord  as  would  weep  and 
pray  between  the  porch  and  the  altar  before  offering  their  gifts 
— such  gifts  as  would  sanctify  the  congregation,  assemble  the 
elders,  gather  the  children,  and  them  that  suck  the  breast, 
from  the  renewed  visitation  of  Infinite  Goodness  and  Mercy 
to  the  rising  generation. 

I  am  revived  with  a  hope  of  better  things  and  things  that 
accompany  salvation,  though  I  thus  speak;  and  if  there  is 
now  within  the  audience  of  my  voice,  one  poor,  dear,  suffer- 
ing child  of  God,  that  in  consequence  of  this  melancholy  cast 
is  ready  to  sink  into  the  quicksands  of  despair,  whose  sins 
have  become  so  exceeding  sinful  that  they  are  crying,  "  Oh  ! 
wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body 
of  this  death?"  let  them  thank  God,  who  will  undoubtedly 
give  them  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  has 
promised  to  him  that  overcometh  evil,  ''will  I  give  to  sit  with 
me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  have  overcome  and  have  set  down 
with  my  Father  in  his  throne ;  let  them  be  encouraged  from 
the  consideration  that  they  are  now  drinking  of  the  cup  the 
Saviour  drank  of,  when  he  said,  ''  I  have  a  baptism  to  be  bap- 
tized with,  but  how  am  I  straightened  till  it  is  accomplished;'^ 
and  that  they  are  filling  up  their  portion  of  his  sufferings 
when  he  said,  "My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto 
death  ;"  let  them  lift  up  their  heads  in  hope,  for  their  salva- 
tion draws  nigh,  when  the  comforting  language  will  be  ad- 
dressed to  their  souls — '^  Ye  are  they  that  have  continued 
with  me  in  my  temptations,  and  I  appoint  unto  you  a  king- 
dom/' 

The  best  examples  of  practical  righteousness  I  have  ever 
known,  both  amongst  Friends  and  others,  have  been  of  the 
melancholy  cast,  that  have  denied  self,  taken  up  the  daily  cross, 
and  followed  Christ;  they  become  as  innocent  as  lambs  ;  and 
though  playfully  cheerful,  they  are  as  incapable  of  hurting  their 
fellow-creatures ;  and  in  whatever  nation,  tongue,  or  people, 
they  are  to  be  found,  they  are  such  as  fear  God  and  work  right- 
eousness, and,  consequently,  are  accepted  with  Jii?n, — and 
whether  an  Indian  or  an  African  sun  has  shone  upon  them, 
they  are  Christ's  sheep,  that  hear  his  voice  and  follow  him,  and 
he  will  give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and  none  shall  pluck  them 

24=^ 


282 

out  of  his  hand.     Some   of  the   brightest   stars  amongst  our 

primitive  Friends  were  of  this  constitutional  cast.     Dear  J 

"W ,  whose  righteousness,  innocence,  and  purity  of  life  has 

never  been  exceeded  in  latter  days,  manifested,  when  on  the 
confines  of  eternity,  what  I  consider  the  true  Christian  state, 
self-abasement  and  humility  of  soul,  as  expressed  in  the  fallow- 
ing testimony :  "  My  trust  is  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  who,  I  hope, 
will  forgive  my  sins  ;''  and  in  allusion  to  the  trials  and  tempta- 
tions through  which  he  had  passed,  he  added,  '^  they  now  seem 
to  be  pretty  well  over,  and  I  look  at  the  face  of  my  dear  Re- 
deemer, for  sweet  is  his  voice  and  his  countenance  is  comely," 
These  last  expressions  shew  such  a  belief  in  Christ  as  my  soul 
longs  after.  Oh,  that  every  melancholy  soul  could  arrive  at 
this  truly  Christian  state, — they  would  be  happy  in  time  and  'm 
eternity. 

I  have  still  greater  encouragement,  as  well  as  some  solemn 
instruction  for  my  fellow-pilgrims  of  this  class.  The  beloved 
John,  as  well  as  Judas,  was  constitutionally  melancholy ;  the 
one  shews  that  by  denying  self  and  taking  up  the  daily  cross, 
and  steadily  persevering  in  following  Christ,  the  highest  state 
of  perfection  may  be  attained.  While  the  other  places  before 
us  the  dreadful  consequences  of  slighting  a  Saviour's  supreme 
command,  and  giving  way  to  that  sin  that  ceaselessly  besets 
this  state — the  love  of  money.  For  we  are  told,  that  at  the 
last  supper  Judas  sat  next  to  the  beloved  John  at  the  table, 
and  though  apparently  listening  with  the  greatest  attention  to 
the  gracious  words  of  his  Divine  Master,  his  right  hand  appears 
convulsively  to  grasp  the  bag  of  money,  for  he  had  just  been 
preaching,  what  in  this  day  might  be  called  a  charity  sermon, 
shewing  the  impropriety  of  wasting  any  thing  that  could  be 
sold  for  money.  Hear  a  part  of  it,  and  what  the  inspired  writer 
says  of  him  :  ''  For  what  purpose  is  this  waste  ?  this  ointment 
might  have  been  sold  for  three  hundred  pence  and  given  to  the 
poor  J  not  that  he  cared  for  the  poor,  but  because  he  was  a 
thief,  and  kept  the  bag  and  bare  what  was  put  therein."  I  do 
not  wish  to  dwell  on  this  gloomy  subject,  but  really,  dear  friends, 
my  mind  is  most  seriously  and  solemnly  impressed  with  an  ap- 
prehension that  this,  our  besetting  sin — the  love  of  money — is 
sending  more  Quakers  to  perdition  and  destruction  than  all 
other  causes  put  together ;  for  this  appearance  of  Satan  is  so  in- 
sidious— so  subtle — keeps  such  good  and  respectable  company 


283 

—-goes  so  well  dressed,  and  has  become  so  popular  and  highly 
esteemed  among  men,  that  although  an  abomination  in  the  sight 
of  Grod,  the  devastation  that  it  is  making  in  his  family  is  incal- 
culable ;  and  the  consideration  is  awful  that  this  sordid,  selfish 
spirit,  will  constitute  that  worm  that  will  never  die,  and  the 
malevolent  passions  of  jealousy,  envy,  and  hatred,  which  stands 
inseparably  connected  with  it,  will  form  a  part  of  the  flames  of 
that  fire  that  is  never  quenched ;  and  this  fire,  said  the  primitive 
Quaker  preachers,  the  unregenerate  soul  must  dwell  with  to  all 
eternity. 

I  said  that  the  beloved  disciple  John  was  constitutionally 
melancholy ;  I  verily  think  so ;  and  I  may  add,  that  Greorge 
Fox  was  of  the  same  natural  complexion,  being  remarkable  for 
his  sobriety  and  seriousness  from  a  child  ;  so  was  John,  who  even 
in  his  minority  became  one  of  the  first  converts  of  his  name- 
sake, that  truly  great  Baptist  preacher  that  produced  such  an 
eflFect  upon  the  Jewish  nation,  that  all  Jerusalem  and  Judea 
went  out  to  him  and  were  baptized  in  Jordan.  The  beloved 
disciple  was  now  a  follower  of  the  Baptist,  and  one  of  the  testi- 
monies of  this  great  preacher  appears  to  have  made  the  deepest 
impression  on  his  mind,  where  he  said,  '^I  indeed  baptize  you 
with  water,  but  there  cometh  one  after  me  that  is  preferred  be- 
fore me,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose  ; 
He  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire ;''  and 
seeing  Jesus  pass  by  he  cried  out,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  Grod, 
that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  This  appears  to  have 
convinced  John  that  he  must  now  leave  the  Baptist  and  follow 
Christ.  And  notwithstanding  that  he  was  evidently  advancing 
in  the  great  work  of  regeneration,  his  selfish  nature  was  still 
strong,  more  especially  when  he  wished  to  monopolize  the  chief 
seats  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left  in  Christ's  kingdom,  and 
actually  made  private  application,  in  company  with  his  mother 
and  his  brother  James.  This  act,  together  with  his  forbidding 
one  that  he  saw  casting  out  devils  in  the  name  of  Christ,  be- 
cause he  did  not  follow  with  him,  is  abundant  proof  of  that  sel- 
fish, narrow,  contracted  spirit  that  is  ever  the  companion  of  the 
unregenerate,  melancholy  state ;  and  the  reproof  that  it  met 
with  from  the  Divine  Saviour,  ought  for  ever  to  silence  such 
intolerance  and  bigotry  :  ^^  Forbid  him  not,  for  no  man  can  do 
a  miracle  of  this  kind  that  speaketh  lightly  of  me ;''  ''  he  that 
is  not  against   us,  is  on  our  part.'^     This   short   but  powerful 


284 

sermon  had  the  desired  effect,  and  this  beloved  disciple  was  pre- 
pared to  follow  a  suffering  Saviour  to  Golgotha;  and  when  the 
other  disciples  forsook  him  and  fled,  John  was  found  with  the 
mother  of  Jesus  and  tho^e  faithful  and  affectionate  women  that 
stood  by  the  cross,  where  neither  the  grim  visage  of  the  Ro- 
man soldier,  nor  the  malignant  scoffs  and  sneers  of  the  priests 
and  their  satellites,  could  prevent  them  from  pouring  the  ten- 
derest  sympathies  of  their  souls  in  a  flood  of  tears,  till  it  drew 
from  the  Heavenly  Sufferer  a  language  like  this  :  *'  Daughters 
of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me;"  and  although  laboring  with 
the  most  excruciating  pain  of  body,  with  still  greater  auguish 
of  soul,  occasioned  by  the  tremendous  weight  of  the  sins  of  a 
fallen  world,  which  caused  him  to  cry  out,  "Eloi  !  Eloi  !  lama 
sabachthani  !"  he  remembered  his  precious  mother,  commend- 
ing her  to  the  care  of  his  beloved  John.  Oh  !  what  depth  of 
solemn  instruction  is  presented  here. 

"Heaven's  sovereign  blessings,  clusterins  from  the  cross, 
Rush  on  and  close  around  the  prisoner  ofannaze. 
In  his  blessed  life  we  see  the  path,  and  in  his  death  the  pure, 
And  in  his  great  ascent  the  glorious  Truth  suprenne. 
Did  he  arise  ?     He  did !     Hear  it,  oh  ye  heavens  ! 
Hear  it,  oh  thou  earth  !     He  rose !     He  rose  ! 
He  burst  the  bands  of  death  !     Lift  up  your  heads, 
Ye  everlasting  gates,  and  give  the  King  of  Glory  to  come  in.'' 

Oh  !  dear  young  man,  whoever  thou  art,  that  feels  a  longing 
after  heaven  and  holiness,  here  is  not  only  instruction,  but 
great  encouragement.  See  what  a  state  of  perfection  this  young 
man  arrived  at  by  obedience  and  steady  perseverance  in  the 
line  of  Divine  appointment.  What  an  important  lesson  to 
young  men,  touching  the  concern  they  ought  to  feel  for  their 
dear  mother,  who  supported  them  on  her  breast  in  their  in- 
fancy, watching  their  sleeping  couch,  and  anticipating  all  their 
wants ;  that  mother  that  nursed  them  in  sickness? — the  blessed 
instrument  that  should  kindle  the  first  devotional  feelings  on 
the  altar  of  the  heart.  Oh,  dear  children,  you  owe  much  to 
this  precious  parent ;  and  if  she  is  a  widow,  she  has  a  double 
claim  upon  your  attention — an  attention  that  will  undoubtedly 
be  paid  by  the  peculiar  blessings  of  heaven.  Never  then,  I  be- 
seech of  you,  pierce  with  sorrow  that  breast  that  has  been  your 
support  in  your  infantile  years,  by  acts  of  disobedience,  imperti- 
nence, or  neglect.  What  confidence  was  placed  in  the  beloved 
John,  that  he  should  have  the  care  of  the  mother  of  the  blessed 


285 

Jesms ;  and  then  be  the  first  man  that  witnessed  his  resurrection, 
and  continuing  with  him  during  the  forty  days  he  was  going  in 
and  out  amongst  them,  speaking  of  the  things  pertaining  unto 
the  kingdom  of  God.  He  was  present  on  tlie  ever  memorable 
day  of  Pentecost,  and  received  him  in  his  blessed  spiritual  ap- 
pearance, agreeably  to  his  promise,  "  I  will  not  leave  you  com- 
fortless, I  will  come  unto  you  again  in  the  character  of  the  Corn- 
former,  or  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  which  the  world  cannot  receive, 
because  it  seeth  him  not ;  but  ye  see  him,  for  he  dwelleth  with 
you,  and  shall  be  in  you,  and  at  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  I 
am  in  the  Father,  and  you  in  me,  and  I  in  you."  From  hence- 
forth the  beloved  John  shone  forth  as  the  brightness  of  the 
firmament,  and  as  an  instrument  that  turned  many  to  righteous- 
ness. He  will  continue  to  shine  as  one  of  the  brightest  stars 
for  ever  and  ever. 

Such  was  the  perfection  of  this  precious  saint,  that  he  seem- 
ed all  light,  and  all  love;  and  like  his  Divine  Master,  he  delight- 
ed in  saving  that  that  was  lost.  A  certain  young  man,  that 
was  convinced  through  John's  ministry,  whose  talents  and  quali- 
fications were  of  the  highest  order,  and  whom  he  had  adopted 
as  one  of  his  children,  during  his  absence  on  a  long  journey, 
went  off,  and  walked  no  more  with  him  ]  joining  a  band  of  rob- 
bers in  the  mountains,  he  had  become  their  captain.  When 
John  returned,  he  made  particular  inquiry  after  this  son,  of 
those  to  whom  he  had  committed  the  care  of  him,  no  doubt 
with  a  charge  to  deal  gently  with  the  young  man.  When  he 
was  informed  of  his  departure,  he  wept  and  grieved  like  the 
patriarch  Jacob,  in  beholding  the  bloody  garment  of  his  dear 
Joseph,  but  not  willing  to  give  him  up,  he  determined  to  leave 
the  ninety  and  nine  and  go  after  the  lost  sheep.  In  vain  did  his 
friends  try  to  persuade  him  his  life  would  be  in  danger,  and  that 
the  object  of  his  pursuit  was  irreclaimable ;  he  persisted  in  his 
determination,  and  had  not  penetrated  far  into  the  mountainous 
country  before  he  was  taken  by  a  straggling  detachment  of  the 
gang,  and  he  requested  they  would  take  him  to  their  captain. 
As  soon  as  the  chief  of  the  robbers  recognized  his  Christian  father, 
he  precipitately  fled,  when  the  dear  old  man  ran  after  him,  cry- 
ing, ^'  Stop,  my  son,  my  dear  son,''  in  so  affecting  a  manner  that 
the  young  man,  who  by  this  time  vras  so  overcome  with  emo- 
tions of  sorroW;  stood  still, — when  the  loving  disciple  fell  upon 


286 

Iiis  neck  weeping  aloud  and  kissing  him  as  a  mother  would  her 
only  child.  The  ferocious  visage  of  the  mountain  robber  was 
now  changed  into  more  than  female  softness,  and  baptized,  as  it 
were,  in  his  own  tears,  he  returned  with  his  Christian  father  as 
a  penitent  prodigal  to  the  bosom  of  the  church,  and  continued 
faithful  to  the  end  of  his  days.  Oh  !  ye  that  profess  to  be  fathers 
in  the  church,  ministers,  elders,  deacons,  or  overseers,  here  is 
an  example  worthy  of  your  imitation.  How  many  precious 
young  men  that  have  gifts  and  qualifications  to  be  greatly  good, 
through  a  want  of  your  Christian  care,  have  strayed  from  the 
fold  of  Christ,  and  though  they  may  not  directly  be  joined  to  a  band 
of  robbers,  or  idle  speculators,  are  they  not  wanderers  on  the  bar- 
ren mountains  of  empty  profession,  exposed  to  those  devouring 
wolves  in  sheep's  clothing — and  are  calling  loudly  for  such 
fatherly  concern  as  was  manifested  by  the  beloved  John  ;  a 
concern  that  continued  with  him  to  the  close  of  his  earthly  pil- 
grimage, in  his  ninety  and  ninth  year  ;  for  we  are  informed  that 
the  last  meeting  he  ever  attended,  he  was  so  weak  and  feeble 
his  friends  had  to  carry  him  in  their  arms,  when  he  preached 
his  last  sermon,  which  should  never  be  forgotten— cZ/^ar  little 
children  love  one  another — "God  is  love,  &nd  they  that  dwell 
in  love  dwell  in  God,  and  God  in  them." 

Seeing  then,  that  there  is  such  a  state  as  perfection  in  Christ 
to  be  attained  to,  even  in  this  state  of  existence,  or  he  never 
would  have  commanded  his  disciples  to  be  perfect,  even  as  their 
Father  that  is  in  heaven  is  perfect,  let  the  aged,  the  middle-aged, 
and  the  dear  youth  of  this  class  be  encouraged,  for  the  same 
God  and  Father  of  all,  that  is  above  all,  through  all,  is  in  you 
all,  an  omnipresent  Saviour,  pre-eminently  clothed  with  the 
glorious  attribute  of  mercy,  and  will  never  leave  nor  forsake 
you;  but  will  preserve  you  in  the  time  of  temptation  and  deliver 
you  from  all  evil.  Lift  up  your  heads  in  hope,  oh  ye  that 
see  your  sins  to  be  exceeding  sinful,  for  your  salvation  draws 
nigh.  It  is  true  you  owe  an  abundance  to  your  God,  and  there 
is  an  abundance  that  you  can  never  pay,  but  oh  that  precious 
Saviour  that  said  to  the  poor  palsied  man,  "  Son,  thy  sins  are 
forgiven  thee,"  and  to  the  tender-hearted  woman  that  washed 
his  feet  with  tears,  "  Daughter,  thy  sins,  which  are  many,  are 
forgiven  thee,"  will  speak  peace  to  your  afflicted  souls.  Let  not, 
then,  your  hearts  be  troubled;    believe  in  God;  believe  also  in 


287 

his  dear  Son,  who  emphatically  declares  to  his  discouraged  dis- 
ciples, "In  my  Father's  house  there  are  many  mansions;  if  it 
were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you ;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for 
you,  and  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  unto 
you  again,  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also.  My  peace 
I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you  ;  not  as  the  world 
giveth  give  I  unto  you  ;  let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled,  neither 
let  them  be  afraid." 

I  come  now  to  a  class  so  entirely  diflPerent,  that  they  may  be 
considered  almost  like  antipodes  to  those  I  have  been  address- 
ing; men  and  women  in  whose  animal  economy  the  element  of 
air  predominates,  producing  that  constitutional  character  called 
sanguine.  To  describe  these,  in  their  unredeemed  and  unregen- 
erated  state,  the  Lord's  prophet  has  been  equally  happy  in  the 
selecting  of  his  figure  from  the  animal  creation,  "  The  leopard 
shall  lie  down  with  the  kid."  Theleopardis  the  most  subtle,  cruel, 
restless  creature,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
the  carnivorous  animals  of  the  cat  kind  ;  but  wo  be  to  the  un- 
suspecting admirers  of  its  beauty,  should  they  attempt  to  mani- 
fest any  personal  familiarity  or  kindness,  because  it  will  destroy 
the  very  hand  that  feeds  it.  Men  and  women  of  this  class,  in 
their  sinful  state,  are  not  to  be  depended  upon,  and  when  young 
are  impatient  of  the  restraints  of  virtuous  discipline ;  and  even 
in  their  minority,  break  through  the  enclosure  of  parental  care 
and  commence  that  terrible  career  in  vanity  that  must  end  in 
vexation  of  spirit.  Excessively  fond  of  company,  more  especial- 
ly where  there  is  gaiety,  music  and  dancing,  they  frequent 
taverns  and  places  of  diversion,  where  young  men  too  often  be- 
come an  easy  prey  to  the  demon  of  intemperance  and  sensuality; 
and  the  poor  negatively  innocent  female  is  too  often  seduced  by 
these  beautiful  monsters,  more  cruel  than  the  leopard,  who  rob 
them  of  their  virtue,  and  destroying  their  innocence  and  reputa- 
tion, leave  them  in  a  state  of  desperation  or  despair,  where, 
afraid  to  meet  the  tears  of  their  parents,  the  chidings  of  their 
relations,  or  the  scoffs  and  sneers  of  their  youthful  companions, 
they  too  often  fly  to  those  sinks  of  pollution  in  our  towns  and 
cities,  where  being  further  debased,  even  below  brutality,  they 
blot  out  of  their  very  nature  every  thing  that  was  once  agree- 
able and  beautiful;  and;  at  last,  come  to  an  untimelj  and  most 
miserable  end. 


288 

"  Where  groaning  hospitals  eject  their  dead, 
While  many  groan  for  sad  admission  there  ; 
While  many,  once  in  fortune's  lap  high  fed. 
Solicit  the  cold  hand  of  charity.'* 

Oh !  that  such  libertines  would  solemnly  reflect  upon  the 
dreadful  account  that  they  must  finally  settle  before  the  judg- 
ment seat  of  quick  and  dead ;  and  oh  that  they  could  be  per- 
suaded, before  it  is  too  late,  that  there  still  remains  an  ever- 
lasting friend  and  blessed  Saviour  of  sinners,  that  seeks  to 
save  that  that  is  lost ;  the  same  that  cast  out  of  one  for- 
merly the  whole  number  of  evil  spirits :  licentiousness — ig- 
norance — intemjDerance — wrath  fulness — devilishness — covetous- 
ness— pride  ; — and  filled  the  empty  soul  with  seven  heavenly 
and  angelic  spirits — virtue — knoicledge — temperance — pa- 
tience— godliness — hrotherli/  kindness  and  cha?'it?/ ;  but  alas  ! 
for  these  when  they  reject  this  darling  attribute  of  mercy  and 
call  into  their  aid  that  abominable  abomination  of  all  abomina- 
tions, unbelief,  and  a  persuasion  that  death  is  an  eternal  sleep. 
To  such,  the  writings  of  the  sophistical  Paine  are  the  most  re- 
lieving and  edifying,  because  they  are  peculiarly  calculated  to 
work  on  their  narrow  and  debauched  understandings.  Should 
such  men  and  women  marry,  the  act  certainly  would  be  highly 
honorable ;  but  the  sacred  covenant  would  be  likely  to  be  broken, 
if  not  trampled  under  foot  with  impunity;  for  there  is  no  con- 
fidence to  be  placed  in  such,  particularly  men,  who  too  often 
leave  their  poor  wives  to  sufi'er  for  the  want  of  the  comforts,  if 
not  the  very  necessaries  of  life,  while  the  careless,  shackling, 
unmanly  husband  is  found  spending  his  time  and  money  at 
taverns,  tippling  houses,  gambling  tables,  or  houses  of  ill-fame, 
participating  in  the  most  tremendous  quarrellings  and  fightings, 
attended  with  blasphemous  expressions  and  the  most  vulgar 
and  bitter  imprecations,  with  a  confused  noise  that  could  scarce- 
ly be  equalled  by  the  howling  of  the  wolf— the  screaming  of 
the  leopard — the  growling  of  the  bear,  or  the  roaring  of  the 
lion — thus  debased  below  the  very  brute  creation,  with  all  the 
manly  feelings  totally  extinguished.  Such  poor  creatures  are 
too  often  seen  in  our  country,  staggering  along  the  high  w^y, 
with  their  black  jug  and  corncob  stopper,  containing  the  re- 
mains of  a  quart  of  whiskey,  purchased  of  some  Judas  that 
would  sell  his  Saviour  for  money.  Should  the  sanguine  wife 
of  such  a  man  as  this  be,  what  they  too  often   are,  prodigious 


289 

scolds,  tlie  scene  that  would  be  likely  to  take  place,  when  he 
arrived  at  his  uncomfortable  home,  I  have  no  language  that 
possesses  force  sufficient  adequately  to  describe.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, leave  it  for  the  temperance  lecturer,  who,  perhaps,  has 
ransacked  the  scriptures  from  Genesis  to  Revelations  for  ap- 
propriate texts,  and  committed  to  memory  the  novel  incidents 
so  awfully  painted  in  the  temperance  tracts ;  telling  the  same 
story  so  often,  that  by  this  time  he  has  it  so  pat  that  his  eloquence 
may  be  irresistible  j  notwithstanding  it  may  be  among  the  pos- 
sible circumstances  that  he  has  never  denied  self,  or  taken  up 
the  cross  of  Christ,  but  is  pursuing  that  echo  of  folly  and  sha- 
dow of  renown,  called  popularity,  or  the  more  common  and,  if 
possible,  more  selfish-  object  of  a  good  salary.  If  so,  he  is  an 
hireling,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  and  careth  not  for  the 
sheep,  and,  therefore,  may  be  compared  to  one  of  the  seven 
sons  of  Sceva,  a  Jew  and  chief  of  the  priests  that  we  read  of  in 
the  days  of  the  apostles,  who  undertook  to  make  a  mercenary 
concern  of  casting  out  evil  spirits,  saying,  '■'■  We  adjure  you  by 
Jesus  that  Paul  preaches;''  and  the  evil  spirit  answered  and 
said,  '^  Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I  know,  but  who  are  ye;"  and 
the  man  in  whom  the  evil  spirit  was,  leaped  upon  them,  and 
overcame  them,  and  prevailed  against  them,  so  that  they  fled 
out  of  the  house  naked  and  wounded  ;  but  the  man  who  seems 
to  have  gained  the  victory  remained  possessed  of  the  devil. 

Such  appears  to  me  most  likely  to  be  the  end  of  all  these 
popular  advocates  for  moral  reform,  that  has  neither  the 
pure  religion  of  Jesus,  nor  the  noble  patriotism  of  Paul. — 
The  drunkard  will  leap  upon  them  and  overcome  them,  while 
the  demon  of  intemperance  will  keep  possession  of  his  unhappy 
victim.  I  know  of  no  class  of  American  citizens  more  truly  to 
be  pitied  and  felt  for  than  the  poor,  habitual  drunkard,  deprived 
of  almost  every  acquisition  that  can  procure  the  comforts  of 
life;  deprived  o^  the  social  and  relative  enjoyments  of  their  own 
families — scolded  by  their  wives — hated  by  their  children — de- 
spised by  the  proud  and  looked  down  on  with  contempt  by  the 
rich ;  shunned  by  the  moral  and  pitied  by  the  pious,  without 
reputation,  without  property,  compelled  from  necessity  to  un- 
dergo the  most  unpleasant  and  laborious  employments,  by  land 
and  by  sea,  by  night  and  by  day,  in  summer's  heat  and  win- 
ter's cold ;  and  after  thus  ploughing  the  waves  of  the  deepest 
affliction,  they  at  last  may  reap  despair.     Oh  !   that  the  Shep- 

5 


290 

herd  of  Israel,  that  sleeps  not  by  day  nor  slumbers  by  night, 
would  extend  the  crook  of  his  love  and  mercy  and  snatch 
these  poor  dear  creatures  from  the  horrible  pit.  Oh  !  that  he 
would  now,  in  his  spiritual  appearance  cast  out  the  legion  of 
evil  spirits,  and  bring  these  poor  bruised  and  naked  souls  to  his 
blessed  feet,  where,  clothed  in  their  right  mind^  they  will  know 
Jesus  Christ  to  be  a  propitiation  for  their  sins.  And  oh  !  that 
these  poor,  discouraged,  peevish,  fretful  wives,  and  all  cross, 
scolding  women,  especially  such  as  have  been  so  long  afflicted 
with  this  direful  disease,  so  as  to  become  crookedly  deformed, 
(that  is)  entirely  different  from  what  they  were  when  they  con- 
stituted the  beloved  object  of  their  husband's  youthful  affections, 
— I  say,  could  these  believe  in  an  omnipresent  Saviour,  and 
press  through  the  crowd  of  difficulties  till  they  could  touch,  in 
a  spiritual  sense,  the  hem  of  his  garment,  his  heavenly  virtue 
would  cure  their  sin-sick  souls,  as  certainly  as  he  cured  tie 
woman  we  read  of  in  the  New  Testament ;  and  that  selfish,  cat- 
like nature,  that  was  the  source  of  their  misery,  would  be  de- 
nied, and  taking  up  the  cross  of  Christ,  they  »vould  wit- 
ness the  leopard  to  lie  down  with  the  kid ;  and  when  they  had 
experienced  this  great  change  of  heart,  they  could  no  more  hide 
themselves  amongst  the  gay,  the  light,  and  chaffy  spirits  of 
the  world,  than  the  woman  that  was  cured  by  touching  the  Sa- 
viour's garment  could  hide  herself  in  the  crowd ;  but  like  her, 
they  would  be  constrained  to  come  forward,  and  in  the  presence 
of  Christ,  declare  publicly  what  great  things  he  had  done  for 
their  souls.  Blessed  are  such  among  women,  and  blessed  is 
the  fruit  of  their  lips.  I  have  heard  the  everlasting  gospel 
preached  in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  more  feel- 
ing power,  from  such  a  woman,  than  I  ever  heard  from  the  lips 
of  man. 

I  will  now  take  a  view  of  sanguine  men  and  women.  As 
members  of  civil  society,  while  under  the  influence  of  their 
first  nature,  they  are  so  light  and  chaffy  in  their  spirits,  and 
moreover  as  changeable  as  the  element  and  animal  that  rules 
them,  that  there  is  very  little  confidence  to  be  placed  in  their 
promises  or  engagements.  Having  more  imagination  than 
mind,  they  too  often  spend  their  little  stock  of  energy  in  think- 
ing and  telling  what  they  intend  to  do,  so  that  they  have 
nothing  left  to  carry  out  their  plans,  or  meet  their  contracts. 
Hence  the  cause  of  the  almost  total  loss  of  privaie  and  public 


291 

confidence,  by  a  series  of  failures  and  bankruptcies,  that  are 
not  only  unchristian,  but  unmanly  and  dishonorable,  a  dis- 
grace to  religion,  and  a  serious  injury  to  the  commonwealth. 
Speculation  being  so  fashionable,  attended  with  a  gambling 
spirit  so  fascinating,  that  sanguine  people  I  fear  are  approach- 
ing a  vortex  of  greater  ruin,  as  respects  the  risk  of  credit,  the 
war  of  interest,  and  the  crush  of  property,  than  this  country 
has  ever  experienced ;  when  the  wolf,  the  leopard,  the  bear  and 
the  lion,  while  biting,  scratching,  squeezing,  and  tearing  each 
other,  will  cause  many  a  poor  lamb,  kid,  cow,  and  ox  to  suffer 
severely. 

But  it  is  under  a  profession  of  religion  without  a  change  of 
heart,  that  sanguine  men  and  women  do  the  most  injury  to  the 
cause  of  Christ ;  for  they  are  quite  disposed  to  be  religious, 
provided  they  can  have  it  on  their  own  terms ;  but  it  must  be 
spotted,  like  the  beautiful  animal  that  rules  in  them,  and  full 
of  excitement  and  activity.  They  are  more  especially  at  home 
in  their  favorite  element,  under  the  influence  of  a  popular 
mania,  called  religious  revivals  and  moral  reforms.  Every 
kind  of  business  must  give  way  to  religious  meetings,  night 
meetings,  camp  meetings,  class  meetings,  prayer  meetings, 
singing  meetings,  temperance  lectures,  abolition  and  coloniza- 
tion lectures,  and  many  others  that  I  cannot  mention,  where 
they  are  the  most  active  and  the  most  happy  creatures;  but 
being  naturally  disposed  to  shackle,  they  too  soon  fall  into 
tbe  sin  that  the  primitive  saints  considered  worse  than  infi- 
delity ;  that  is,  neglecting  to  make  a  proper  provision  for  their 
own  families.  For  the  sons  of  that  glorious  morning  were  so 
very  tenacious  of  the  example  that  God  had  placed  before 
them  in  the  person  of  his  dear  Son,  walking  in  the  path  of 
bumble  industry,  that  they  required  of  every  member  of  the 
church,  that  they  should  maintain  or  support  themselves  and 
families  by  the  labor  of  their  own  hands,  (not  their  heads)  : 
and  hence  the  commandment  in  their  pure  but  simple  disci- 
pline, "  if  any  would  not  work,  neither  should  they  eat :"  a 
commandment  that  would  be  very  unpopular  amongst  the  san- 
guine members  in  the  present  day,  who  not  only  neglect  to 
work  with  their  hands,  that  they  may  walk  honestly  towards 
tbem  that  are  without,  and  that  they  may  lack  nothing ;  but 
are  content  to  live  on  the  industry  of  others,  by  getting  a  sala- 
ry as  preachers,  or  their  expenses  borne  out  of  the  funds  of 


292 

Society,  or  some  profession  or  office  of  profit  and  lionor,  hj 
which  they  can  live  without  working  with  their  own  hands ; 
and  such  as  cannot  gain  this  point  too  often  run  in  debt  and 
borrow  money  :  then  the  melancholy  and  phlegmatic  brother 
must  be  applied  to  for  money  or  credit,  with  all  the  sancti- 
monious, long-faced  innocence  of  a  yery  pretty  spotted  kid; 
their  feelings  and  interest  being  excited,  the  money  is  forth- 
coming, and  a  promise  is  made  to  pay  at  a  certain  time,  with 
legal  interest  from  the  date  thereof.  But  when  the  kind  usurer 
calls  for  his  money,  the  poor  sanguine  debtor  is  neither  able 
nor  willing  to  pay ;  and  should  the  honest  creditor  appeal  to 
the  laws  of  his  country  for  redress  in  such  a  grievance,  he 
will  soon  find  himself  in  contact  with  something  like  a  cruel 
leopard,  that  would  now  destroy  the  hand  that  was  stretched 
forth  for  relief;  tearing  the  reputation  of  their  friend  to  pieces 
and  having  the  eye  of  the  cat,  that  is  peculiarly  calculated  to 
see  best  in  the  dark,  with  a  restless  impetuosity  they  will  try 
to  destroy  every  good  trait  in  the  character  of  the  object  of 
their  resentment.  Such  are  the  effects  of  the  besetting  sin  of 
sanguine  men  and  women,  professing  to  be  Christians  while 
they  remain  strangers  to  regeneration  and  the  new  birth.  The 
astonishing  quickness  with  which  fhey  can  see  faults  and  fail- 
ings in  their  friends  and  neighbors,  often  reminds  me  of  the 
man  in  the  fable,  who  had  his  neighbor's  faults  and  his  own 
in  a  wallet  on  his  shoulder,  taking  good  care  to  have  his  neigh- 
bor's always  in  the  fore  end  of  the  wallet,  so  that  he  could 
always  see  them  first.  Such,  I  conceive,  were  those  women 
that  Paul  tried  to  silence  in  the  Corinthian  church — the  same 
that  he  alludes  to  in  one  of  his  epistles  to  Timothy — idle  wo- 
men, wandering  from  house  to  house,  and  not  only  idle,  but 
tattlers  also  and  busybodies,  speaking  things  they  ought  not. 
Now  such  women  as  these,  that  always  will  have  their  friends 
and  neighbors'  failings  in  the  fore  part  of  the  wallet,  under 
the  continual  inspection  of  their  restless  cat's-eyes,  which,  as 
I  said  before,  can  see  best  in  the  dark,  unless  they  can  be  per- 
suaded to  have  the  wallet  turned  so  that  their  own  faults  can 
be  placed  before  them,  are  very  troublesome  members  of  meet- 
ing, and  hence  the  propriety  of  the  apostle  commanding  them 
to  be  silent  in  the  church ;  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  believe 
that  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  would  ever  command  a 
good  woman  to  be  silent  in  the  church.     Paul  was  a  heavenly- 


293 

minded  man,  and  consequently,  as  a  man  of  good  sense,  must 
have  known  that  there  were  no  sexes  in  souls,  and  that  the 
gift  of  the  ministry  was  a  gift  bestowed  upon  the  soul  to  save 
souls ;  and  having  declared  his  belief  that  male  and  female 
were  one  in  Christ,  he  never  could  have  been  so  inconsistent 
as  to  have  even  supposed  that  in  the  church  of  Christ  men 
were  only  eligible  to  the  office  of  prophet,  or  preacher,  when 
he  must  have  known  and  united  with  the  four  daughters  of 
Philip,  that  prophesied,  and  his  beloved  sister  Phebe,  whom 
he  so  highly  commended,  and  by  whom  he  sent  his  epistle  to 
the  church  at  Rome,  and  all  those  women  that  he  tells  us 
helped  him  in  the  gospel ;  and  as  to  his  remarks  about  the 
woman  being  in  the  transgression,  they  appear  to  me  to  em- 
brace the  same  allegorical  instruction  as  similar  remarks  about 
the  son  of  the  bond  woman  and  the  son  of  the  free  woman,  in 
the  case  of  the  children  of  Abraham;  and  even  if  Paul  was 
at  times  partially  influenced  by  the  prejudices  of  his  college 
education,  or  the  traditions  of  his  fathers,  the  very  declaration 
he  makes,  that  the  Son  of  Grod  was  made  of  a  woman,  will 
more  than  counterbalance  all  the  illiberal  and  irrational  con- 
structions that  have  been  put  upon  his  sayings  touching  the 
rights  of  women.  Adding  to  this  the  fact,  that  the  first  per- 
fect Christian  that  was  made  by  this  Son  of  G-od  was  a  woman 
— a  woman,  too,  that  manifested  more  Christian  tenderness, 
more  Christian  humility,  more  Christian  love,  more  Christian 
faithfulness,  than  eleven  out  of  twelve  of  the  men  that  were 
fii-st  chosen  by  Divine  appointment  to  preach  his  gospel, — and 
mark,  it  was  this  woman  that  had  the  high  honor  of  being  the 
first  witness  of  his  glorious  resurrection  3  no  doubt  the  be- 
loved Paul  would  place  such  women,  where  every  consistent 
Christian  man  ought  to  place  them,  next  to  the  angels  of 
heaven  :  and  so  far  from  commanding  them  to  be  silent  in  the 
church,  would  further  unite  with  every  consistent  Christian 
in  sincerely  wishing  that  there  were  more  such  precious  women 
that  were  constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ  to  preach  the  ever- 
lasting gospel.  But  I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  think  itc[uite 
possible  that  the  apostle  Paul  felt  a  freedom  to  call  into  his 
aid  the  opinions  of  darker  ages  respecting  the  inferiority  of 
women,  in  a  case  of  a  serious  difficulty  in  the  Corinthian 
church :  for  it  appears  that  some  deluded  females  then^  and 
there  perverted  the  .order  of  nature,  and  destroyed  the  divine 

25* 


294 

harmony  of  grace,  by  usurping  an  authority  or  position  that 
did  not  become  them,  and  sacrificing  modesty,  humility,  and 
love,  (the  crown  and  diadem  of  a  good  woman),  at  the  shrine  of 
pride,  presumption,  arrogance,  malignant  enthusiasm,  bigotry, 
hardness  of  heart  and  cruelt}- — those  seven  spirits  that  our 
Lord  said  entered  into  the  man  out  of  whom  the  unclean  spirit 
had  gone,  and  made  his  last  state  worse  than  the  fii-st.  When 
such  women  as  these  have  sufficient  influence  to  be  acknow- 
ledged teachers  or  preachers,  they  are  likely  to  make  sad  work 
in  the  church,  by  tearing  asunder  the  most  sacred  and  tender 
ties,  separating  husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children, 
brethren  and  sisters,  and  causing  some  that  professed  to  be  the 
friends  of  Christ  to  hate  one  another.  And,  should  I  be  at 
liberty  to  judge  from  the  fruits  I  have  seen  of  such  preaching 
even  in  my  day,  had  I  Paul's  authority  and  influence,  1  should, 
like  him,  command  such  women  to  be  silent  in  the  church ; 
but  I  wish  distinctly  to  be  understood,  that  I  do  not  apply  this 
mischievous  spirit  exclusively  to  females ;  far  from  it :  for  I 
think  I  have  seen  too  many  men  that  would  wish  to  pass  for 
gentlemen  and  Christians,  that  were  like  Paul's  silly  women, 
led  captive  by  this  sin,  and  laden  with  the  lusts  thereof,  and 
therefore  never  could  arrive  at  the  knowledge  of  the  Truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus. 

These  deluded  votaries  of  Anti-Christ,  wherever  they  are  to 
be  found,  are  too  often  blowing  the  flames  of  discord  and  con- 
tention; not  only  destroying  connubial  happiness  and  the 
peace  of  jDrivate  families,  but  the  harmony  of  neighborhoods 
and  the  unity  of  religious  associations,  to  the  great  grief  and 
trouble  of  the  more  peaceable  members  of  civil  and  religious 
society.  I  would  appeal  to  the  presiding  elders  among  the 
Methodists,  the  respectable  deacons  among  the  Presbyterians, 
and,  in  a  word,  the  faithful  watchmen  in  all  societies,  with 
the  overseers  among  Friends,  for  the  truth  of  the  declaration. 

I  believe  there  are  fewer  sanguine  people  among  Friends,  in 
proportion  to  their  numbers,  than  any  others,  (for  rea- 
sons which  I  think  I  have  already  given,)  and  what  there 
is  are  mostly  birth-right  members,  who  are  too  often 
finding  fault  with  the  order  of  Society— particularly  plain- 
ness of  dress,  behaviour  and  apparel ;  and  animadverting 
with  great  severity  on  the  bigoted  notion  of  keeping  to  their 
own  meetings,   and   not  mixing   with    other  societies;    and 


295 

appear  so  liberal  that  T  am  afraid  they  would  turn  Christian 
liberty  into  licentiousness.  These  kind  of  Friends  remind  me 
of  a  set  of  restless,  discontented  Jews,  that  we  read  of  in  the 
days  of  the  outward  advent  of  the  Saviour,  called  Gadarenes, 
who  opposed  the  order  and  economy  of  the  Israelitish  church, 
and  seemed  so  particularly  offended  at  Moses  prohibiting  the 
use  of  swine's  flesh,  (in  consequence  of  its  predisposing  the 
human  body  to  putrid  diseases  in  that  warm  climate,)  that 
they  would,  in  their  perverse  selfishness,  keep  whole  herds  of 
hungry  hogs  on  their  barren  mountains,  to  the  great  annoy- 
ance of  their  more  orthodox  neighbors.  These  sanguine  Ga- 
darenes,  being  in  a  state  of  mind  in  such  perfect  accord- 
ance with  their  favorite  animal,  it  is  no  marvel  that  our  Saviour 
found  a  legion  of  devils  among  them ;  which,  when  dispos- 
sessed of  their  more  comfortable  quarters,  would  naturally 
wish  to  go  into  what  they  would  think  the  next  best  place  for 
them,  notwithstanding  the  rational  supposition  that  such  a 
superabundance  of  obstinate  selfishness  might  drive  the  poor 
swine  headlong  to  destruction ;  and  being  disappointed  in  their 
hoggish  speculation,  it  is  no  wonder  these  Gadarenes  wished 
to  get  rid  of  so  unprofitable  a  visiter  as  the  Divine  Saviour. 

This  singular  miracle  appears  to  me  designed  to  show  the 
Jews,  in  the  sad  condition  of  the  swine,  the  national  destruc- 
tion their  growling  and  cruel  selfishness  were  bringing  them 
to  \  that  the  evil  spirits  that  had  degraded  the  Gentile  world, 
which  are  represented  by  Legion,  would  be  cast  out,  and  en- 
tering into  the  Jews,  would  complete  their  ruin ;  and  the  Gen- 
tiles would  come  and  take  away  their  place  and  nation.  I  be- 
lieve in  this  remarkable  circumstance  that  was  recorded  for 
our  instruction ;  and  while  it  excites  the  sceptical  smile  in 
these  sanguine  latitudinarians,  it  allegorically  describes  their 
unhappy  state  and  condition.  And  it  is  certainly  an  awful 
consideration  that  if  they  continue  obstinately  to  follow  this 
selfish,  swinish  speculation,  that  however  glossed  over  with  all 
the  subtlety  of  the  serpent,  it  will  be  likely  to  lead  down  a 
steep  place  into  that  lake  where  they  will  eventually  be  choked. 
No  marvel  that  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  should 
be  so  unpleasant  to  them  that  they  seem  to  carefully  avoid  it, 
if  not,  like  the  Gadarenes,  beseech  it  to  depart  out  of  their 
coast.  No  marvel  that  too  many  of  them  should  seem  to  pre- 
fer the  sceptical  philosophy  of  Thomas  Paine  to  the  precepts 


296 

of  Jesus ;  and  even  publicly  declare  that  it  was  as  good  as  the 
scriptures.  This  cold,  withering  spirit,  which  was  described 
by  the  Lord's  prophet  under  the  figure  of  the  east  wind,  com- 
menced its  blasting  influence  on  this  continent,  with  what  are 
called  the  New  Lights  in  New  England,  and  extending  west  as 
far  as  Friends  were  settled,  formed  something  like  a  conspira- 
cy against  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  Society ;  but  the 
chain  that  was  stretched  to  so  great  a  length  broke  by  its  own 
weight,  and  its  disconnected  links  are  now  hanging  as  dead 
weights  on  the  skirts  of  the  several  Yearly  Meetings,  and  ^ 
wherever  they  have  spliced  on  with  modern  abolitionism  and 
temperance,  they  are  causing  considerable  imsettlement ;  for 
while  they  are  in  the  leopard  state,  to  be  still  seems  impossi- 
ble ;  and  hence  their  fondness  for  preaching — following  popu- 
lar preachers  from  meeting  to  meeting,  and  by  puffing  them 
up  with  flattery  and  smooth  tales,  they  assist  the  devil  in 
placing  them  upon  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  from  which 
too  many  popular  but  sanguine  preachers  have  fallen — dis- 
gracefully fallen — while  they  presumptuously  expected  that 
the  very  angels  of  heaven  would  bear  them  up. 

There  must  be  a  cause  for  this  direful  effect;  and  having 
been  led  to  the  subject  unexpectedly,  I  feel  more  than  a  free- 
dom to  give  some  views,  touching  the  ministry,  that  I  think  have 
been  given  to  me  from  the  right  source.  The  requisite  quali- 
fications for  preaching  the  gospel  of  Christ  are  the  same  that 
they  ever  were,  and  are  most  admirably  described  in  the  se- 
cond chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  The  subjects  for 
this  great  work  must  first  be  gathered  together  in  Christ's 
ncnne,  which  is  Ms  power ;  and  then,  agreeably  to  his  promise, 
where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my  name,  there 
am  I  in  the  midst  of  them,  will  be  fulfilled.  They  must  be  of 
one  accord,  that  is,  they  must  be  in  perfect  unity.  Then  the 
following  appropriate  figure  describes  the  exercise  of  the  soul 
on  which  the  gift  of  gospel  ministry  is  bestowed  :  1st.  "  And 
there  was  a  great  sound,  as  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind." 
The  nervous  system,  the  exquisite  connection  of  soul  and  body, 
is  first  affected ;  and  such  is  its  irritability,  that  the  whole 
bod}^  shakes,  sometimes  to  a  degree  bordering  on  convulsions; 
and  too  often,  for  the  want  of  getting  into  the  child  like  state 
of  resignation,  ends  in  fanatical  derangement.  2dly.  "  And 
there  appeared  to  them  cloven  tongues,  like  as  of   fire,  and  sat 


297 

upon  each  of  them/'  This  figure  is  peculiarly  appropriate ; 
for  the  light  and  power  of  Eternal  Truth,  which  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  sun  when  it  shines  in  the  soul,  giving  the  know- 
ledge of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  spiritual  appearance  of  Jesus 
Christ,  that  faculty  of  the  soul  called  reason  is  enlightened,  and 
shines  forth  like  the  moon,  a  glorious  but  subordinate  lumi- 
nary. But  having  been  so  long  the  distinguished  agent  of  self, 
(the  strongest  law  of  the  unregenerate  man,)  reason  yields  with 
great  reluctance  its  independence,  and  the  disparity  between 
reason  and  revelation  divides  them  into  two  parts,  and  hence 
the  gift  of  the  ministry  in  this  mixed  state  is  called  a  cloven 
tongue  as  of  fire  ;  and  while  reason  continues  its  separate  stand- 
ing, and  refuses  to  be  entirely  influenced  by  the  Divine  light, 
being  ever  fertile  in  invention,  it  produces  that  astonishing  va- 
riety of  speculative  opinion  in  the  Christian  church ;  and 
though  such  preachers  may  continue  to  preach  with  the  tongue 
of  men  and  angels,  for  the  want  of  celestial  charity,  it  will 
end  in  sounding  brass  or  tinkling  cymbals.  Thirdly  and  last- 
ly :  '^  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost ;  then 
spake  they  vnth  otlier  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utter- 
ance.'' Mark  !  they  now  spoke  with  other  tongues  (not  cloven) 
as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.  Here  was  the  everlasting 
gospel  of  Christ  preached,  in  its  blessed  simplicity  and  purity, 
that  reached  the  witness  in  those  devout  people  that  were 
then  in  Jerusalem  from  the  surrounding  nations.  Those  pre- 
cious visited  children  of  God  that  had  been  born  of  the  Spirit, 
were  now  spoken  to  in  a  language  they  understood ;  not  an 
unknown  tongue,  but  their  own  tongue,  in  which  they  were 
born.  Sach  was  the  preaching  of  the  first  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ,  from  the  day  of  Pentecost,  which  shook  the  foundations 
of  the  Jewish  hierarchy  ]  and  such  I  believe,  in  a  good  degree, 
was  the  preaching  of  the  first  Quakers,  when  they  shook  the 
foundations  of  the  church  of  Anti-Christ  in  England  to  the  very 
centre. 

The  devout  people,  that  Luke  tells  us  were  then  in  Jerusa- 
lem, providentially  drawn  there  from  all  nations  under  heaven, 
appear  to  me  to  have  been  the  representatives  of  those  several 
nations  that  the  disciples  were  commanded  to  go  and  teach, 
haptizing  tliem  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy 
Ghost,  which  commandment  was  obeyed,  and  the  end  and  de- 
sign of  the  Saviour  fulfilled  on  that  ever  memorable  day  of 


298 

Pentecost,  when  three  thousand  were  converted  to  Christianity. 
This  stupendous  act  superceded  the  necessity  of  the  disciples 
travelling  further  than  their  Divine  Master.  And  moreover  it 
appears  clear  to  me  that  had  those  representatives  of  the  various 
nations  of  the  earth  that  were  thus  miraculously  introduced  into 
the  gospel  dispensation,  returned  to  their  several  places,  keeping 
their  eyes  single  to  the  pattern  of  everlasting  righteousness  placed 
"before  them  on  the  holy  mount,  they  would^have  shone  as  stars 
in  the  firmament  of  God's  power,  and  their  several  lights 
within  their  several  orbits  would  have  properly  enlightened  the 
whole  world  of  mankind  with  the  pure  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ,  agreeably  to  the  heavenly  plan  of  Infinite  Wisdom,  as 
expressed  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  in  this  beautiful  and  appro- 
priate language ;  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days 
that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  liouse  shall  be  established  in 
the  top  of  the  mountains  and  exalted  above  the  hills,  and  all 
nations  shall  Jioiu  unto  it.  And  many  people  shall  go  and 
say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  unto  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob,  and  he  will  teach  us 
of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths ;  for  out  of  Zion 
shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusa- 
lem. And  he  shall  judge  among  the  nations,  and  shall  rebuke 
many  people;  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plough- 
shares, and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks  ;  nation  shall  not 
lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war  any 
more." 

But  it  appears  to  me  that  this  most  glorious  work  of  the 
Almighty  to  restore  a  fallen  world,  by  the  establishment  of 
peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  man,  was  marred  or  frustrated 
by  some  cause  or  other ;  and  what  cause  can  we  more  reasonably 
suspect  than  that  which  showed  itself  amongst  the  first  disci- 
ples :  "  Have  I  not  chosen  you  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a 
devil?''  This  devil  that  influenced  Judas  to  associate  with  the 
priests  and  their  satellites,  Christ's  greatest  enemies,  and  finally 
sell  his  master  for  money,  may  have  worked  more  subtilly,  but 
too  eflfcctually,  on  the  weaknesses  and  prejudices  of  those  sons 
of  the  morning,  who  being  Jews,  were  so  strongly  attached  to 
the  rituals  of  the  law  as  to  introduce  circumcision  and  water  bap- 
tism among  those  Christian  converts,  which  became  a  bone  of 
contention  and  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  war.  Add  to  this  the 
strong  prejudice  in  favor   of    missionary  travelling,  then   in 


299 

great  estimation  among  the  apostate  and  forsaken  Jews,  and 
although  condemned  by  Christ  in  this  most  powerful  language, 
^^  Wo  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  For  you 
compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte ;  and  when  he  is 
made,  you  make  him  twofold  more  the  child  of  hell/'  Yet 
some  of  the  disciples  appear  to  have  embarked  in  the  mission- 
ary travelling  far  beyond  the  jurisdiction  embraced  in  the 
example  of  their  Divine  Master,  and  although  they  may  have 
made  a  hundred  converts  where  their  Master  made  one,  it  does 
not  appear  that  the  true  joy  or  interest  of  the  church  was  in- 
creased. 

For  alas  I  the  successors  of  the  apostles  preferred  preaching 
with  cloven  tongues,  as  it  was  more  pleasing  to  itching  ears, 
which  soon  degenerated  into  wind,  and  became,  like  Ephraim, 
a  cake  not  turned.  A  ministry  that  commenced  in  the  mix- 
ture, led  into  the  apostacy,  robbed  the  church  of  its  perquisites, 
its  liberty  and  its  life ;  and  from  generation  to  generation  its 
footstep  has  been  marked  with  darkness  and  blood,  down  to  the 
present  day,  when  it  is  followed  by  flatterers  and  fools,  sung 
to  by  silly  women,  (male  and  female,)  fed  by  witches|with  calf 
on  its  way  to  Mount  Gilboah,  stimulated  by  the  genius  of  in- 
temperance with  the  sly  behind-the-door  beverage  of  a  little  hot 
toddy,  a  little  brandy  and  sugar,  a  little  egg  and  wine, — and 
worst,  and  worse  than  all,  and  most  to  be  deplored  as  popular 
preachers'  foulest  blot,  the  snug  little  opium  pill,  slipped  into 
one  corner  of  the  mouth  under  cover  of  the  handkerchief,  while 
entering  the  pulpit,  or  even  the  Quaker  gallery,  where  I  have 
heard  with  my  own  ears,  to  my  after  mortification  and  sorrow, 
an  extemporaneous  eifusion  of  eloquence  peculiarly  calculated 
to  captivate  the  ear  and  bring  tears  from  the  eyes  of  poor,  weak, 
silly,  sanguine  people.  Is  not  this  something  like  the  abomi- 
nation of  desolation  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  standing 
where  it  ought  not,  in  the  most  holy  place  ?  And  if  the 
condition  contained  in  the  text  is  the  unchangeable  truth,  that 
self  must  be  denied,  what  must  be  the  ultimate  end  of  such 
ministers  as  take  Christ's  jewels  and  deck  and  adorn  their  cursed 
self  ?  Is  it  not  to  be  feared  that  they  will  have  their  portion 
with  hypocrites  and  unbelievers,  and  go  out  of  the  world  with- 
out God,  without  hope,  and  without  one  comfortable  assurance 
from  the  sacred  ransom  of  a  dying  Saviour.  Will  it  not  be  in 
vain  for  these  to  plead  before  the  judgment  seat  of  quick  and 


300 

dead, — Have  we  not  prophesied  in  tby  name^  and  in  thy  name 
have  we  not  cast  out  devils,  and  in  thy  name  done  many  won- 
derful works?  Will  not  the  answer  be — Depart  from  me^ 
ye  workers  of  iniquity,  into  everlasting  fire  prepared  for  the 
devil  and  his  angels.  Oh  !  that  I  could  sound  the  alarm  in  the 
ears  of  all  such  preachers  in  Christendom,  that  they  might  be 
brought  to  see  their  state  and  condition  before  it  is  too  late. 
Oh  !  that  the  millions  of  blind  sanguineprofessors,  thatare  ledby 
these  blind  guides,  could  be  saved  by  an  omnipresent  Saviour 
from  that  ditch  or  gulph  into  which  they  are  led.  Such,  I  fear^ 
are  the  priests  and  such  are  the  people  that  compose  the  mass 
of  the  professors  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  in  gentile  Christendom. 
"Would  not  the  Lord's  holy  prophet  Jeremiah,  were  he  now  a 
divinely  anointed  minister  of  the  everlasting  gospel,  take  up  the 
lamentation  when  he  mourned  over  apostate  Israel — ''A  wonder- 
ful and  horrible  thing  is  committed  in  the  land;  the  prophets 
prophesy  falsely,  and  the  priests  rule  by  their  means,  and  my 
people  love  to  have  it  so ;  and  what  will  ye  do  in  the  end 
thereof?" 

I  turn  from  this  sorrowful  side  of  my  subject  to  considera- 
tions more  encouraging;  to  things  that  accompany  salvation, 
though  I  have  thus  spoken :  for  the  truth  remains  to  be  truth, 
though  all  men  forsake  it ;  therefore  let  God  be  true,  if  every 
man  is  a  liar ;  for  his  foundation  for  ever  stands  sure ;  having 
this  seal,  the  Lord  knows  who  are  his.  Therefore  let  sanguine 
men  and  women  be  encouraged,  and  lift  up  their  heads  in 
hope,  for  their  salvation  will  draw  nigh  just  in  proportion  as 
they  are  humble  and  obedient :  for  there  is  no  constitutional 
character  among  mankind  on  which  sorrow  and  trouble  has  a 
better  effect  through  the  sanctifying  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
Truth.  Is  there  then  within  the  audience  of  my  voice,  a  dear 
brother  whose  debts  and  difficulties  are  so  great  that  he  is 
ready  to  sink  into  the  quicksands  of  despair  ?  Is  there  one 
whose  sleepless  pillow  has  been  a  witness  to  many  a  mournful 
sigh,  while  the  anticipated  sufferings  of  a  beloved  wife,  and 
consequent  separation  from  precious  children,  rend  his  soul 
with  anguish,  and  makes  even  life  itself  a  burthen  ?  I  have  a 
word  of  encouragement  for  such,  from  heartfelt  experience 
having  been  in  the  same  state ;  and  like  one  formerly,  when 
in  the  street  called  Strait,  I  fervently  prayed,  not  that  I  might 
be  relieved  from  suffering,  for  I  was  suffering  the  due  reward 


801 

of  my  deeds,  but  that  the  cause  of  the  blessed  Saviour,  that  I  had 
espoused,  might  not  suffer  and  be  reviled  through  my  disobe- 
dience to  the  heavenly  vision.  And  when  I  was  brought  to 
the  depth  of  humility,  and  could  thankfully  adore  the  chasten- 
ing hand,  it  was  made  bare  for  my  deliverance,  and  the  good 
Ananias  was  sent  to  remove  the  scales  from  my  eyes,  and  show 
me  a  way,  where  there  appeared  no  way.  Thus  my  feet  were 
plucked,  as  it  were,  out  of  a  horrible  pit,  and  placed  upon  a 
rock,  where  I  have  sung  the  praises  of  Redeeming  Love  on  the 
banks  of  deliverance. 

And  here  permit  me  to  say,  that  it  has  been  a  source  of  un- 
easiness to  my  mind,  when  I  see  religious  young  men,  especi- 
ally such  as  believe  they  are  called  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
branching  out  into  business  so  extensively  as  to  be  under  the 
necessity  of  borrowing  money.  Oh  !  that  such  could  read  with 
a  seriousness  and  instruction  proportionable  to  its  value,  the 
advice  given  by  Paul  to  his  son  Timothy,  when  warning  him 
of  the  danger  of  the  greatest  evil  in  the  Christian  church — the 
love  of  money.  '^  But  thou,  0  man  of  G-od,  flee  those  things, 
and  continue  to  follow  after  righteousness,  'godliness,  faith, 
love,  patience,  meekness.  For  we  brought  nothing  into  this 
world,  and  it  is  certain  we  can  take  nothing  out ;  and  having 
food  and  raiment,  let  us  be  therewith  content.'^  The  poor 
sanguine  minister  that  neglects  to  attend  to  this  apostolic  ad- 
vice, and  goes  on  borrowing  money  of  usurers  till  he  sells  his 
Christian  liberty  to  money -mongers,  is  really  to  be  pitied; 
for  should  they,  by  the  most  assiduous  attention  to  business, 
succeed  in  meeting  all  their  contracts,  and  at  last  extricate 
themselves  from  the  fangs  of  the  usurer  with  that  honor  that 
is  so  highly  esteemed  among  men,  it  is  often  at  the  expense  of 
some  of  the  finer  feelings  of  an  enlightened  and  quickened 
soul,  and  the  establishing  of  a  habit  of  money-making  and 
money-loving,  which  if  it  does  not  drown  the  man  in  perdition 
and  destruction,  it  too  often  eclipses  the  glory  of  that  star-like 
radiance  that  was  to  shine  forever  in  the  firmament  of  God's 
power.  Therefore,  dear  sanguine  children,  young  men  and 
young  women,  that  have  just  come  upon  the  stage  of  active 
life,  let  me  conjure  you  by  all  that  is  sacred,  and  by  all  that 
is  dear,  for  Grod's  sake,  for  your  own  soul's  sake,  for  the  sake 
of  the  cause  of  everlasting  righteousness,  submit  to  the  condi- 
tions contained  in  the  text — deny  self,  and  take  up  the  daily 

26 


302 

cross  ',  tlien  your  life  and  conversation  and  all  things  may  be 
like  tliat  blessed  pattern  sbown  you  on  tlie  holy  mount ;  for 
when  the  infinitely  wise  Jehovah  was  pleased  to  manifest  him- 
self in  the  fulness,  and  present  to  a  world  of  intelligent  beings 
a  perfect  pattern  of  everlasting  righteousness,  in  the  glorious 
appearance  of  his  beloved  son  Jesus  Christ,  that  blessed  pat- 
tern was  found  walking  in  the  path  of  humble  industry — 
showing  with  indubitable  clearness  that  the  path  of  humble 
industry  will  not  only  lead  to  the  enjoyment  of  rational  happi- 
ness in  this  world,  but  everlasting  happiness  in  the  world  to 
come.  If  you  have  true  Christian  humility,  your  wants  will 
be  so  few,  that  your  industry  will  more  than  supply  them,  and 
you  will  be  prepared  to  minister  to  the  necessities  of  the  poor 
that  are  hungry,  or  thirsty,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  or 
strangers,  and  should  these  be  the  least  of  the  brethren  of 
Jesus  Christ,  as  beautifully  alluded  to  in  that  inimitable  para- 
ble, you  will  be  prepared  to  receive  that  blessed  sentence ; 
''  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared 
for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 

I  will  now  close  this  part  of  my  subject,  by  a  concise  view 
of  a  penitent  prodigal,  who  appears  to  have  been  of  a  very 
sanguine  constitution,  in  hopes  it  will  be  an  encoiu-agement  to 
some  dear  children  that  have  left  their  heavenly  Father's 
house,  and  in  a  far  country  spent  their  portion  of  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ,  that  was  graciously  given  to  them  in  the 
visitation  of  their  youth,  and  are  now  endeavoring  to  satisfy 
the  cravings  of  their  immortal  spirit  with  spiritless  husks  and 
shells  of  sensual  enjoyment,  which  they  find  to  be  vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit ;  and  while  they  cast  many  a  mournful  look 
towards  their  Father's  house,  they  are  ready  to  say — How 
many  hired  servants  are  there  in  my  father's  house,  that  have 
bread  enough  and  to  spare,  while  I  am  here  perishing  with 
hunger.  To  encourage  these  to  arise  and  go  unto  their  Father, 
who  is  undoubtedly  disposed  to  meet  them  though  they  may 
be  a  great  way  ofi",  I  will  place  before  them  an  interesting  ex- 
ample, in  the  young  man  alluded  to.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
humble  dedicated  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  had  received  a 
guarded  religious  education,  that  had  made  deep  impression 
on  his  youthful  mind.  During  his  apprenticeship  in  a  popu- 
lous city,  he  strayed  far  away  from  the  fold  of  Christ,  partici- 
pating in  almost  every  species  of  folly  and  wickedness.     But 


303 

about  the  twenty-first  year  of  his  age,  he  was  renewedly  visited 
with  the  dayspring  from  on  high,  and  it  was  moreover  shown 
to  him  that  this  would  be  the  kst  visitation  he  would  ever 
receive ;  but  trying  to  persuade  himself  it  was  all  a  delusion, 
he  was  determined  to  join  his  bottle  companions  and  drink  it 
oflF,  or  disown  his  solemn  convictions.  But,  on  his  way  to  join 
his  company,  he  had  to  pass  the  meeting-house,  where  he  had 
heard  his  ftither  preach  the  glad  tidings  of  the  everlasting  gos- 
pel to  penitent  sinners.  Such  was  the  deeply  exercised  state 
of  his  mind,  that  he  thought  he  saw  over  the  door  of  the  house, 
in  large  letters  of  gold,  the  language  addressed  to  the  apostle 
Paul.  This  appears  to  have  been  conclusive  with  him,  for  he 
gave  up  to  what  appeared  to  be  a  heavenly  vision,  and  consult- 
ed no  longer  with  flesh  and  blood,  having  the  Son  of  Grod 
again  revealed  in  him.  Like  Paul,  he  was  constrained  to 
preach  to  others,  and  for  their  encouragement  tell  them  what 
God  had  done  for  his  soul ;  thus  he  became  one  of  the  most 
dignified  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ  of  his  day.  In  his  last 
sickness,  some  of  his  friends  called  to  see  him  on  their  way  to 
attend  the  Yearly  Meeting,  to  whom  he  addressed  himself  as 
follows :  '^  I  should  be  willing  that  the  Yearly  Meeting,  might 
be  informed,  that  as  I  have  lived,  so  I  shall  close,  with  the 
most  unshaken  assurance  that  we  have  not  followed  cunningly 
devised  fables,  but  pure,  living,  and  eternal  substance ;  and  if  I 
am  to  be  removed  now  from  the  church  militant,  where  I  have 
endeavored  in  some  degree  to  fill  up  my  duty,  I  have  an  un- 
doubted evidence  that  I  shall  be  received  into  the  church  tri- 
umphant in  heaven.^'  And  his  last  expression  was — ^^  my 
dear  love  is  to  all  them  that  love  the  Lord  Jesus.''  His  bio- 
grapher (though  not  a  member  of  the  same  Society)  closes  with 
these  expressions  :  "  Such  was  his  exemplary  life,  and  such 
was  his  triumphant  death;  a  life  so  spent  is  truly  honorable, 
and  such  a  death  unspeakably  glorious.'' 

Dear  sanguine  young  men,  that  are  now  spending  your  pre- 
cious talents  in  riotous  living — talents  that  are  almost  angelic 
in  their  nature,  and  have  been  given  you  to  make  you  greatly 
good — will  you  not  be  encouraged  to  return  to  your  heavenly 
Father's  house,  where  a  Saviour  stands  graciously  disposed  to 
receive  you,  and  clothe  you  with  the  best  robe  of  his  right- 
eousness, and  qualify  you  to  gather  his  scattered  and  dispersed 
sheep,  from  the  east  and  from  the  west,  from  the  north  and 


304 

from  the  soutli,  to  tlie  one  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls. 
My  dear  elderly  friends  of  a  sanguine  constitution,  let  us  not 
he  discouraged  in  a  retrospective  view  of  what  is  past;  for 
Jesus  Christ,  our  blessed  Sayioui',  that  has  come  spiritually  a 
second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation,  is  a  proj)itiation  for  our 
sins ;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world  of  rational  beings,  provided  the  sorrow  for  sin  is  a  godly 
Sorrow,  that  worketh  repentance  not  to  be  repented  of,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  apostle  Peter,  who,  when  he  saw  his  sins  to  be  ex- 
ceeding sinful,  wept  bitterly — 

<*  When  the  cock  crew,  he  wept — smote  by  that  eye 
That  looks  on  nae,  on  all — that  power  that  bids 
The  midnight  sentinel,  with  clarion  shrill, 
Emblem  ot  that  that  shall  awake  the  dead, 
Call  souls  from  slumber  into  thoughts  of  heaven." 

It  appears  that  Peter  indulged  so  much  in  pride  and  specu- 
lation, as  to  be  in  the  spirit  of  the  devil ;  and  hence  his  Mas- 
ter's severe  reproof,  '^  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan;  for  thou  art 
an  offence  unto  me,  for  thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  are 
of  God,  but  the  things  that  are  of  men/^  Dear  Peter,  not- 
withstanding he  had  the  inestimable  privilege  of  the  personal 
presence  and  precepts  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  he  showed 
in  strong  colors  the  besetting  sin  of  poor  sanguine  mortals,  who 
promise  much  and  perform  little — assent  to  the  blessed  truth, 
and  then  depart  from  it  in  the  fii'st  gust  of  impetuous  passion. 
^'  Though  all  men  forsake  thee,  yet  will  I  never  forsake  thee  ; 
though  all  men  deny  thee,  yet  will  I  never  deny  thee ;  I  will 
follow  thee  to  prison  and  to  death  ;  I  will  lay  down  my  life  for 
thy  sake/^  This  last  promise  Peter  was  certainly  disposed  to 
fulfil;  for,  when  the  enem}^  appeared,  he  asked  permission  to 
smite  with  the  sword  ;  but  his  leopard  nature  made  him  so  im- 
patient, that  he  could  not  wait  for  permission,  but,  under  the 
influence  of  impetuous  passion,  smote  one  of  the  servants  of  the 
high  priest,  and  cut  off  his  right  ear ;  and  although  the  act 
was  in  direct  opposition  to  the  commandment  that  Peter  had 
received  from  his  divine  Master,  to  love  his  enemies,  and  not 
to  smite  even  when  he  was  smitten,  yet  the  gentleness  of  the 
reproof  seems  to  show  that  it  was  Peter's  least  failing.  "Suf- 
fer it  thus  far,''  said  the  merciful  Saviour,  and  he  put  forth  his 
finger  and  healed  the  wound  of  his  greatest  enemy.     Then 


305 

taming  to  Peter,  lie  said:  ^^Put  up  thy  sword,  for  tKey  tliat 
take  the  sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword'' — a  prophetic  decla- 
ration that  has  been  verified  and  will  be  fulfilled,  in  individual 
experience,  families,  societies,  communities,   nations,  empires 
and  kingdoms.     I  said  this  warlike  act  of  Peter's  appeared  to 
be  the  least  of  his  failings,  for  there  was  something  noble,  gen- 
erous and  brave  in  his  defending  his  master,  whom  he  so  dear- 
ly loved ;  for  the  Saviour  says — Greater  love  hath  no  man  than 
this,  that  he  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend.     The  man  that 
has  arrived  at  such  a  state  of  disinterested  friendship,   as  to 
sacrifice  his  own  life  to  save  his  friend  and  fellow-citizen,  is 
the  first  of  patriots  ;  and  although  it  is  not  the  Christian  state, 
it  is  certainly  one  of  the  best  stocks  that  Christianity  was  ever 
engrafted  into.     And  hence  Peter,  who  appears  to  have  been 
the  only  warrior  among  the  disciples,  is  styled  the  Prince  of  the 
Apostles.     Now  it  appears  to  me  that  all  those  great  and  good 
men  that  we  read  of,  who  professed  to  be  Christians,  and  yet 
have  drawn  the  sword  to  smite    their  enemies,  either  in  de- 
fence of  their  own  persons,  their  property,  or  their  friends, 
the  rights  and  liberties   of  their  country,  or  their  religion  j 
they  are  at  best  no  further  on  their  way  to  the  Christian  state 
than  Peter  was  when  he  drew  his  sword  to  defend  his  Divine 
Master.     And  may  we  not  reasonably  conclude  from  the  sa- 
cred record,  that  Peter  was  not  only  not  in  a  Christian  state, 
but  too  soon  lost  the  nobility  of  the  patriot  and  the  man.  And 
the  cause  for  this  additional  weakness,  if  not  wickedness,  ap- 
pears to  be  his  associating  with  the  servants  and  satellites  of 
the  priests ;  for  he  continued  to  follow  on  after  Jesus,  but  he 
got  into  bad  company ;  and  what  appears  to  have  made  bad 
worse,  the  priests'  party  made  a  fire  to  warm  themselves,  and 
Peter  stood  with  them  and  warmed  himself;  and  after  getting 
warm  by  the  priests'  fire,   this  courageous  warrior  became  so 
cowardly,  mean  and  wicked,  that  the  inquisitive  look  of  a  ser- 
vant girl  set  him  to  quibbling  and  evading  the  truth ;  and  being 
closely  questioned  by  the  enemy,  he  not  only  told  a  positive 
lie,  but  cursed  and  swore  that  he  knew  not  the  man.     But 
when  the  cock  crew,  the  Saviour  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter, 
not  with  anger,  nor  yet  with  a  frown  of  contempt,  but  with  a 
look  of  sorrow  and  love  that  so  aff'ected  the   confused  and 
wretched  heart  of  Peter,  that  he  was  broken  into  self-abase- 
ment and  contrition,  and  he  went  out  and  wept  bitterly. 
26* 


a06 

My  dear^sanguine  friends,  is  there  not  the  gi-eatest  instruc- 
tion and  encouragement  in  this  remarkable  circumstance  ?  In- 
struction, by  showing  the  cause  why  so  many  great  and  good 
men,  that  once  appeared  as  spotless  patriots  and  distinguished 
advocates  for  the  rights  of  man,  should  at  last  become  the  as- 
sassins of  Christian  liberty  3  encouragement,  by  showing  us 
that  God  our  Creator,  in  the  blessed  appearance  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,  is  no  angry  God,  neither  is  he  clothed  with 
vindictive  justice;  neither  is  there  wrath  in  heaven  that  re- 
fuses to  be  appeased  by  heartfelt  sorrow  and  repentance.  But 
God  is  love,  and  they  that  dwell  in  love,  dwell  in  God,  and 
God  in  them.  The  dispensation  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  all  mercy  and  goodness,  and  they  that  come  to  it  and  dwell 
under  its  influence  will  love  their  enemies,  do  good  and  lend, 
hoping  for  nothing  again;  such  are  the  true  children  of  God, 
and  if  children,  then  heirs — heirs  of  God  and  joint  heirs  with 
Christ.  These  can  never  smite  with  the  carnal  sword,  neither 
can  they  lie  or  swear ;  for  they  are  all  taught  of  the  Lord,  and 
in  righteousness  and  peace  shall  they  be  established  for  ever. 
This  state  Peter  came  to  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  was 
made  a  Christian  by  receiving  Christ  in  his  spiritual  appear- 
ance, without  sin,  unto  salvation;  and  thus  he  was  anointed 
and  appointed  on  that  memorable  day,  to  preach  the  everlast- 
ing gospel,  not  in  the  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  as  his 
sermon  plainly  shows,  but  in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit 
and  with  power ;  for  he  was  now  changed  from  a  bloody  warrior 
to  a  Christian,  from  a  leopard  to  a  kid;  and,  self  being  de- 
nied, he  had  become  a  soldier  of  the  cross,  and  was  following 
the  captain  of  his  salvation — being  willing  to  spend  and  be 
spent.  And  such  was  the  humility  and  self-abasement  of  his 
soul,  when  he  was  condemned  to  be  crucified — thinking  him- 
self unworthy  to  suffer  like  his  Divine  Master — he  is  said  to 
have  requested  to  be  crucified  with  his  head  downward. 

In  this  remarkable  and  interesting  history  of  the  apostle 
Peter,  we  are  shown  what  a  sincere  heartfelt  belief  in  Jesus 
Christ  will  do  for  one  of  the  most  sanguine  of  mankind,  and 
notwithstanding  all  their  restless  eccentricity,  what  a  state  of 
perfection  they  are  capable  of  coming  to.  Peter's  name  is  not 
only  gloriously  enrolled  on  the  records  of  eternity,  but  as  the 
prince  of  the  apostles  is  beloved  and  revered  by  millions  of  in- 
telligent beings. 


S07 

I  now  come  to  a  third  class  of  mankind,  called  Phlegmatic, 
in  whose  animal  body  the  element  of  water  predominates. 
This  element  is  cold  and  unfeeling,  but  powerful  by  its  great 
weight  and  influence  upon  the  other  elements ;  and  when  put 
in  motion  by  the  laws  of  gi-avitation,  or  agitated  by  air  or  fire, 
its  strength  is  irresistible.  Hence  the  Lord's  prophet,  in  de- 
scribing these  in  their  unregenerate  state,  brings  forward  in 
poetical  figure  two  of  the  larger  and  more  powerful  animals  : 
'■^  And  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed,  their  young  shall  lie 
down  together. ^^  Men  and  women  of  this  class,  while  under 
the  influence  of  their  beastly  natures,  are  not  only  cold  and  un- 
feeling, but  dull  and  inert ;  but  when  agitated  by  some  of 
the  stronger  passions,  they  are  too  often  powerful,  cruel  and 
voracious,  and  therefore  more  like  the  bear  than  any  other  ani- 
mal. For  the  bear  is  a  dull,  sluggish,  inert  creature,  and  ap- 
pears more  peaceable  and  contented  than  most  of  the  carnivo- 
rous tribe,  and  will  seldom  if  ever  prey  upon  other  animals,  if 
they  can  find  plenty  of  nuts,  fruit,  gi-ain,  or  even  roots ;  they 
will  then,  especially  in  autumn,  become  very  fat,  and  retire  to 
their  den,  curl  themselves  up  in  their  bed  of  leaves,  and  live 
by  sleeping  and  sucking  their  paws.  In  this  quiet  retreat,  they 
may  appear  inofiiensive  and  entirely  harmless;  but  wo  unto 
the  man  or  beast  that  would  presume  to  take  away  one  of  the 
leaves  that  compose  their  bed,  or  even  disturb  their  repose ; 
they  would  soon  show  their  carnivorous  teeth,  and  if  within 
their  reach,  they  might  feel  the  weight  of  their  tremendous 
paws,  or  be  crushed  in  their  powerful  hug. 

Could  the  prophet  have  found  in  the  whole  chain  of  carni- 
vorous animals,  one  link  that  would  so  completely  describe  a 
phlegmatic  worldly-minded  man,  wholly  intent  on  the  acquisi- 
tion of  wealth  ?  One  who  adopts  for  his  motto  the  Dutch  pro- 
verb, ^^  My  son,  get  money;  get  it  honestly  if  you  can,  but  be 
sure  to  get  it.^^  One  that  pursues  this  object  with  an  eye  that 
never  winks,  and  a  wing  that  never  tires ;  if  he  can  get  money 
fast  enough,  and  by  the  regular  routine  of  business  and  a  legal 
six  per  cent.,  may  be  apparently  satisfied;  but  if  trade  should 
be  dull,  and  the  regular  course  of  business  obstructed,  attend- 
ed with  some  loss  of  property,  he  will  have  recourse  to  shaving 
some  poor,  weak,  straitened  brother's  notes  or  paper,  and  then 
adding  their  shavings  to  his  bonds  and  mortgages,  he  will 
have  a  comfortable  dry  bed  to  retire  to ;  and  having  grown  fat 


308 

like  the  bear,  he  can  sleep  securely,  and  while  sucking  the 
paws  that  have  done  such  great  things,  can  adopt  the  language 
of  one  formerly :  '^  Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods  laid  up  in 
store  for  many  years;  take  thy  ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry/^ 
But  if  God  should  say  to  such  a  man  as  this,  as  he  did  in  the 
parable,  "Thou  fool,  this  night  shall  thy  soul  be  required  of 
thee,''  then  whose  would  all  these  shavings  and  dry  leaves  be? 
what  relief  could  they  afford  ? 

^'  The  frantic  soul 
Raves  round  the  walls  of  her  clay  tenement ; 
Runs  to  each  avenue,  and  shrieks  for  help ; 
But  shrieks  in  vain.     How  wishfully  she  looks 
On  all  she's  leaving,  now  no  longer  her's ! 
A  little  longer,  yet  a  little  longer, 
Oh  !  might  she  stay  to  wash  away  her  stains, 
And  fit  her  for  her  passage  !    Mournful  sight ! 
Her  very  eyes  weep  blood;  and  every  groan 
She  heaves,  is  big  with  horror.     But  the  foe. 
Like  a  stanch  murderer,  steady  to  his  purpose. 
Pursues  her  close  through  every  lane  of  life. 
Nor  misses  once  the  track  ;  but  presses  on, 
Till,  forced  at  last  to  the  tremendous  verge, 
At  once  she  sinks  to  everlasting  ruin." 

For  the  rich  man  also  died,  and  was  buried;  and  in  hell  he 
lifted  up  his  e;yes,  being  in  torment,  and  seeth  Abraham  afar  off, 
and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom ;  and  he  cried,  "  Father  Abraham, 
have  mercy  on  me,  and  send  Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the  tip 
of  his  finger  in  water,  and  cool  my  tongue,  for  I  am  tormented  in 
this  flame."  Ah,  my  dear  friends,  what  will  be  the  difference 
in  the  eternal  world  between  such  rich  men  and  their  poor 
debtors,  that  have  been  brought,  Lazarus-like,  to  their  gates, 
full  of  sores,  occasioned  perhaps  by  being  squeezed  too  bard  in 
dealing  with  something  like  a  grizzly  bear,  while  their  only 
crime  may  have  been  they  could  not  add  sufficiently  to  the  su- 
perabundance of  his  dry  bed,  by  paying  up  their  interest  or 
rent.  In  vain  did  the  poor  Lazarus  desire  a  crumb  of  mercy; 
the  dogs  were  only  permitted  to  lick  his  sores.  But  it  came  to 
pass  that  the  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by  angels  into 
Abraham's  bosom.  Oh!  that  I  could  persuade  professing  Chris- 
tians to  return  to  those  first,  glorious,  and  heavenly  principles, 
that  so  adorned  the  infant  and  innocent  state  of  the  primitive 
church — sympathy  and  feeling  for  suffering  humanity — which 
laid  the  foundation  for  true  Christian  discipline  ;  which  made 


309 

provision  for  the  poor  saints ; — when  ministers  of  the  gospel 
were  conscientiously  concerned  to  maintain  themselves  and 
families  by  the  labour  of  their  own  hands,  and  could  appeal  to 
the  elders  of  the  church  in  a  language  like  this  :  "  I  have  covet- 
ed no  man's  silver  or  gold,  or  apparel;  yea,  ye  yourselves  know 
that  these  hands  have  ministered  to  my  necessiticvS,  and  to  them 
that  were  with  me  :  and  I  have  shown  you,  that  so  labouring  ye 
ought  to  support  the  weak,  remembering  that  it  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive."  Such  was  the  precept  and  example 
of  the  first  Christian  ministers,  and  such  was  their  sympathy 
for  suffering  humanity  in  the  household  of  faith,  that  they  beg- 
ged the  crumbs  that  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table,  not  to 
clothe  themselves  in  purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fare  sumptu- 
ously every  day,  but  to  relieve  the  poor  Lazarus  that  lay  with- 
in their  own  gates,  full  of  sores.  Oh  !  that  I  could  persuade  the 
Society  of  Friends  to  return  to  their  first  principles,  that  Chris- 
tian benevolence  that  shone  so  conspicuously  among  them  for 
the  first  half  century,  when  poor  Friends'  necessities  were  duly 
inspected,  and  they  relieved,  and  assisted  in  such  business  as 
they  were  capable  of.  They  would  then  cease  their  running  in 
the  ways  of  the  Gentiles,  and  joining  those  extraneous  specula- 
tions, so  popular  in  the  cities  of  the  Samaritans,  for  they  would 
then  find  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel ;  or,  to  speak  in 
plainer  terms,  they  would  no  longer  spend  that  time  and  money 
on  Indians,  a  people  that  do  not  even  profess  to  be  Christians, 
that  ought  to  be  appropriated  to  save  their  own  poor  members 
from  sinking  into  the  quicksands  of  despair.  How  many 
Friends  that  might  have  been  ornaments  to  Society  have  sunk 
and  are  sinking  for  the  want  of  that  relief  that  our  early 
Friends  were  the  most  prompt  in  affording.  How  many  have 
had  to  give  up  to  their  creditors,  and  are  either  disowned  or 
under  dealing  for  partial  assignments,  when  it  was  occasioned 
perhaps  by  a  cold  unfeeling  creditor,  that  had  let  in  the  sus- 
picion that  he  would  lose  his  money  if  it  were  not  immediately 
secured,  and  therefore  had  presented  himself  before  his  poor 
debtor  in  all  the  terrific  appearance  of  a  grizzly  bear,  demanding 
security  by  judgment  bond  or  partial  assignment;  the  poor 
man,  who  has  now  become  like  a  striken  deer,  or  a  poor  chased 
and  starved  heifer,  without  strength  or  spirit  to  resist,  complies 
with  the  unjust  demand,  by  which  other  creditors  are  excluded, 
and  he  must  be  excommunicated  at  a  time  when  of  all  other 


310 

times  he  stands  most  in  need  of  friends  and  assistance  ;  while 
the  triumphant  creditor,  like  the  fat  bear,  retires  quietly  to  Ins 
den,  with  the  commendations  of  society  for  being  wiser  in  his 
generation  than  the  children  of  light.  My  soul  feels  for  these 
poor  Lazaruses  that  are  full  of  sores  and  discouragements,  too 
many  of  whom  I  fear  are  attempting  to  drown  their  sorrows  in 
the  gulf  of  intemperance.  Others,  under  a  consideration  of 
hard  treatment  from  those  they  once  thought  their  Christian 
friends,  have  let  in  hardness  of  heart  and  difficulty  of  under- 
standing, and  are  descending  the  dark  turbulent  stream  of  doubt 
which  too  often  ends  in  the  ocean  of  scepticism  and  infidelity. 
Many  of  these  might  be  saved  to  sing  the  praises  of  redeeming 
love  on  the  banks  of  deliverance,  had  they  only  a  little  timely 
advice  and  assistance.  But,  alas,  alas  !  that  Christian  sympathy 
and  tenderness,  that  was  once  the  crown  and  diadem  of  the 
religious  Society  of  Friends,  the  radiance  of  whose  glorious 
light  caused  even  their  enemies  to  exclaim — See  these  Quakers, 
how  they,love  one  another — seems  now  rapidly  transforming  in- 
to the  speculative  popular  mania  that  characterizes  the  deluded 
votaries  of  Anti-christ,  in  compassing  sea  and  land  to  make 
proselytes.  This  philanthropic  gambling  has  been  placed  be- 
fore the  public  in  rather  a  ludicrous  point  of  view  by  an  in- 
genious American  writer,  one  of  whose  figures,  if  I  recollect 
right,  was  something  like  this  : 

''I  was  sitting  in  my  study,  when  my  reverie  was  broken 
by  a  confident  rap  at  the  door,  and  the  entrance  of  a  respecta- 
ble looking  elderly  woman,  with  a  book  in  her  hand,  who  thus 
addressed  me  :  '  I  have  come,  sir,  to  request  you  to  subscribe 
to  a  mission  to  the  Hottentots/  I  answered — '  Why  do  you 
go  so  far  from  home  to  exercise  your  charity?  Can't  you  be- 
stow it  upon  the  poor  colored  people  in  this  city,  who,  in 
many  places,  are  as  ignorant  and  wretched  as  the  Hottentots 
can  be :  and  if  you  must  go  from  home,  why  go  further  than 
the  poor  slaves  at  the  south  ?' — when  she  gave  me  this  con- 
clusive answer  :  ^  La,  sir,  nobody  thinks  of  things  so  near 
home,  and  besides,  the  Missionary  3Iagazine  never  mentions 
them  ;'  so  I  subscribed  and  paid  my  money,  in  hopes  of  get- 
ting my  name  in  the  Missionary  Magazine." 

AVould  it  not  be  a  sorrowful  consideration  if  this  ingenious 
satire  should  apply  to  the  Society  of  Friends  in  their  Indian 
and  African  concerns  ?     Oh  !  that  I  could  persuade  them  that 


311 

wKile  they  profess  to  be  the  Israel  of  God,  or  the  Lord's  cho- 
sen people  Tinder  the  gospel  dispensation,  that  they  would 
obey  that  imperative  and  positive  commandment  given  Ijy  the 
infinitely  wise  Jehovah  to  his  people  Israel — "  If  thy  brother 
be  waxen  poor,  and  fallen  into  decay  with  thee,  then  thou  shalt 
relieve  him ;  take  thou  no  usury  of  him,  nor  increase,  but  fear 
thy  God,  that  thy  brother  may  live  with  thee.  Thou  shalt 
not  give  him  thy  money  upon  usury,  nor  lend  him  thy  vic- 
tuals for  increase.  If  thou  lend  money  to  any  of  my  people 
that  are  poor  by  thee,  thou  shalt  not  be  unto  him  as  an  usu- 
rer, neither  shalt  thou  lay  upon  him  usury ;  thou  shalt  not 
lend  upon  usury  to  thy  brother,  usury  of  money ;  for  he  that 
by  usury  and  unjust  gain  increases  his  substance,  shall  gather 
it  for  them  that  will  pity  the  poor.  Lord,  who  shall  abide  in 
thy  tabernacle  ?  who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  hill  ?  He  that 
putteth  not  out  his  money  to  usury — he  that  hath  not  given 
forth  upon  usury,  nor  taken  reward  against  the  innocent.  He 
that  turneth  away  his  ear  from  hearing  this  law,  even  his 
prayers  shall  be  an  abomination.  Thou  hast  taken  usury  and 
increase,,  and  thou  hast  greedily  gained  of  thy  neighbors  by 
extortion,  and  hath  forgotten  me,  saith  the  Lord  God.'^  These 
are  the  words  of  the  Lord  through  the  mouths  of  his  prophets 
and  faithful  servants,  embracing  the  great  commandment  to 
Israel,  touching  the  subject  of  usury — a  commandment  that 
contained  a  political  as  well  as  a  moral  good  to  his  people; 
and  although  it  was  only  expressly  given  to  the  Jews,  the 
light  thereof  appears  to  have  dawned  on  the  Roman  republic ; 
for  when  a  proposition  was  made  to  the  Roman  senate  for  lay- 
ing a  one  per  cent,  usury,  it  was  opposed  by  the  most  illus- 
trious senators,  particularly  by  the  elder  Cato,  or  Cato  the  Cen- 
sor, who  considered  the  deleterious  effect  of  usury  on  the  so- 
cial happiness  of  the  people  to  be  equal  to  taking  their  lives. 
And  had  those  illustrious  American  senators,  that  organized 
the  federal  compact,  taken  the  same  view  of  usury,  and  recog- 
nized that  great  commandment  given  by  Jehovah  himself, 
^'  Thou  shalt  not  lend  thy  money  upon  usury  to  thy  brother,^ ^ 
our  money  matters  would  have  been  preserved  from  a  vortex 
of  confusion  to  which  I  fear  they  are  rapidly  approaching,  and 
thousands  of  our  citizens  saved  from  ruin;  for  it  ajDpears  to 
me  that  usury  is  the  bane  of  a  republic,  and  the  lever  of  the 
power  of  aristocracy.     How  those  professors  of  religion  that 


312 

tell  us  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God,  can  ever  reconcile 
lending  their  money  to  their  brethren  on  usury,  is  a  matter  of 
difficulty  and  astonishment  to  me ;  and  the  difficulty  is  in- 
creased from  the  matter  of  fact  recorded  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment ;  the  dear  Son  and  Sent  of  Grod,  instead  of  abrogat- 
ing this  commandment  or  word  of  the  Lord,  recorded  in 
the  Bible,  has  gloriously  asserted  and  corroborated  it  in  the 
following  clear  and  powerful  testimony :  "  Give  to  him  that 
asketh  thee,  and  from  him  that  would  borrow  of  thee 
turn  not  thou  away ;  and  if  ye  lend  to  them  of  whom  ye 
hojDe  to  receive,  what  thanks  have  ye?  For  sinners  lend 
to  sinners  to  receive  as  much  again.  But  do  good  and 
lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again,  and  your  reward  shall  be 
great ;  and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest,  for  he  is 
kind  to  the  thankful  and  the  evil.  Be  je  therefore  merciful 
as  your  Father  is  merciful ;  ye  are  my  friends,  if  ?/e  do  icJiat- 
soever  I  command  you.' '  How  the  people  called  Quakers  can 
assume  the  name  of  the  Friends  of  Christ  upon  the  unchange- 
able terms  He  has  laid  down,  is  paradoxical  to  me,  while  they 
continue  to  act  in  direct  opposition  to  one  of  his  positive  com- 
mandments, and  instead  of  doing  good  and  lending  their  mo- 
ney without  usury,  they  are,  in  too  many  instances,  taking 
an  illegal  interest  from  a  poor  brother,  that  is  falling  into 
decay. 

Oh  this  love  of  money,  if  it  has  not  been  the  root  of  all,  it 
has  been  and  still  is  the  root  of  much  evil  in  the  religious 
Society  of  Friends,  and  the  cause  thereof  appears  to  me  to  be 
that  evil  seed  of  usury  that  lay  snugly  preserved  in  the  bosom 
of  the  landed  aristocracy  of  England,  but  never  vegetated  in 
the  Society  till  after  the  Toleration  Act  -,  then  the  warming 
influence  of  the  sunshine  of  worldly  prosperity,  and  the  great 
influx  of  wealth  flowing,  as  a  natural  consequence,  from  that 
inexhaustible  source — lunnilitij,  faitlifulness,  and  industry — 
acted  as  the  summer's  showers  on  the  spontaneous  productions 
of  the  earth,  causing  this  evil  seed  of  usury  to  put  forth  its 
branches,  resplendent  with  evil  fruit ;  amongst  which,  covet- 
ousness  and  pride  shone  the  most  conspicuous,  and  was  high- 
ly esteemed  amongst  men,  but  an  abomination  in  the  sight  of 
Christ,  because  they  were  the  greatest  enemies  to  his  church 
militant  on  earth.  About  this  time,  that  is,  the  latter  end  of 
the  seventeenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
if  I  am  not  mistaken,  Friends  had  near  seven  hundred  meet- 


313 

ings  in  England,  Ireland  and  Scotland ;  but  the  love  of  money 
and  the  love  of  the  world,  the  inseparable  friends  of  usury, 
were  now  insidiously  drawing  them  away  from  their  first  great 
princij^les ;  and  I  think  I  am  safe  in  saying,  their  meetings 
declined  at  the  ratio  of  two  meetings  a  year  for  the  last  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years ;  and  what  appears  to  have  added  to  the 
rapidity  of  this  retrograde  movement,  they  were  losing  their 
faith  in  Christ  as  an  omnipresent  Sa^dour,  and  putting  their 
dependence  in  the  arm  of  flesh;  hence,  their  attachment  to 
those  beautiful  idols  of  a  fallen  world — wealth, poicer  and  scho- 
lastic education — the  wonderful  machinery  by  which  the  de- 
luded votaries  of  anti-Christ  vainly  expect  to  establish  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  throughout  the  whole  earth.  I  am  aware 
that  some  of  my  best  friends  may  be  ready  to  conclude,  that 
on  the  subject  of  usury  I  have  certainly  got  wrong,  and  my 
enemies  will  be  disposed  to  laugh  me  to  scorn  as  a  fanatic ;  but 
I  shall  comfort  myself  with  the  fact,  that  I  have  the  unity  of 
some  of  the  brightest  stars  that  ever  shone  in  the  old  and  new 
world  of  mind,  with  the  testimony  of  Grod,  who  is  judge  of  all, 
before  whose  righteous  tribunal  I  may  now  leave  the  subject  of 
usury  to  be  settled. 

As  members  of  civil  society,  phlegmatic  people,  even  in 
their  uuregenerate  state,  have  the  advantage  of  the  other  three ; 
for  they  may,  with  some  degree  of  propriety,  be  called  the 
very  sinews  of  the  state.  Their  steady,  persevering,  plodding 
industry,  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  almost  invariably  puts  them 
in  possession  of  the  object  of  their  pursuit,  and  then  their 
superior  systematic  judgment  and  pre-science  enables  them  to 
make  the  best  of  their  money  and  property ;  hence,  they  stand 
pre-eminent  as  farmers,  merchants,  and  business  men;  and 
even  in  the  arts  and  sciences  they  certainly  may  claim  some 
degree  of  superiority,  for  the  most  of  the  useful  discoveries 
and  inventions  were  first  found  out  by  phlegmatic  men;  and 
hence  Grermany  has  been  considered  the  most  fertile  in  useful 
works.  But  in  no  case  do  they  become  substantially  useful 
till  they  experience  something  of  the  change  embraced  in  the 
prophet's  figure;  for  the  cow  and  the  bear  must  feed,  their 
young  ones  must  lie  down  together ;  the  wild  carnivorous  na- 
ture of  the  bear  must  be  changed  and  become  like  the  tame, 
ruminating  nature  of  the  cow;  and  although  self  may  not  be 
entirely  denied,  and  they  may  be  too  much  like  the  dry,  fat 

27 


314 

cow  tliat  keeps  lier  substance  within  herself,  yet  with  more 
than  the  strength  and  power  of  the  bear,  they  chew  the  cud 
and  divide  the  hoof;  this  is  often  the  source  of  stupendous 
works  as  well  as  great  and  useful  inventions.  But  it  is  when 
self  is  entirely  denied,  and  the  daily  cross  taken  up,  that  phleg- 
matic men,  that  are  rich,  witness  a  thorough  change  from  a 
state  like  that  of  the  cold,  cruel,  selfish  bear,  to  that  like  the 
noble,  generous  cow,  with  her  distended  udder  quietly  solicit- 
ing the  hand  of  the  lovely  milk-maid  to  draw  forth  the  rich 
nutritious  stream  that  is  to  feed  the  helpless,  hungry  children 
of  men.  Such  men,  wherever  their  lot  may  be  cast,  or  what- 
ever their  profession  to  religion  may  be,  are  a  blessing  to  the 
city  or  country  where  they  live,  and  an  honor  to  the  society  to 
which  they  belong.  Permit  me  to  corroborate  this  position 
by  the  strongest  of  evidence,  matters  of  fact,  two  of  which  I 
am  a  living  witness  of.  I  knew  a  poor  minister,  near  twenty 
years  ago,  that,  by  imprudence  and  want  of  capacity,  was 
brought  into  serious  difficulties,  for  he  had  quit  a  business  that 
he  understood,  and  for  which  the  Author  of  Nature  had  pecu- 
liarly qualified  him,  because  he  then  thought  it  was  inconsist- 
ent with  his  profession,  and  undertook  a  business  he  did  not 
understand,  by  which  he  was  brought  to  the  eve  of  bankrupt- 
cy. Aware  of  his  embarrassment,  he  exerted  himself  by  work- 
ing with  his  own  hands,  day  and  night,  till  his  health  was 
broken,  and  the  symptoms  of  a  pulmonary  consumption  caused 
him  to  look  with  sorrow  and  discouragement  on  a  beloved  wife 
and  little  family  of  children  that  in  all  probability  must  soon 
be  left  destitute,  to  be  fed  by  the  hand  of  charity,  or  coldly 
provided  for  by  friends.  Winter  was  fast  approaching,  and 
many  things  were  wanting  to  make  his  little  family  comforta- 
ble, for  which  he  had  not  the  means.  In  this  street  called 
Strait,  after  spending  some  sleepless  nights  and  discouraging 
days,  like  one  formerly,  in  the  depth  of  humility,  he  prayed 
to  his  blessed  Saviour,  who  stilled  the  rolling  of  the  tempestu- 
ous billows,  and  there  was  a  calm,  where  heavenly  hope  be- 
came an  anchor  to  the  soul.  A  few  days  after  this  exercise, 
his  neighbor,  the  postmaster,  told  him  there  was  a  letter  for 
him  in  the  post-office.  When  he  got  the  letter,  he  directly 
discovered  that  the  superscription  and  post-mark  were  entirely 
new  ;  but  what  was  his  surprise  on  opening  it,  to  find  two  fifty 
dollar  bank  notes,  from  a  wealthy  merchant  with  whom  he 


315 

had  but  little  acquaintancGj  wlio  stated  in  his  letter  that  he 
had  been  led  recently  to  feel  sympathy  and  tenderness  for  the 
poor  man,  and  in  contrasting  his  superabundance  with  a  Chris- 
tian brother's  real  wants,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  send  that  little 
present,  and  to  inform  him  further  not  to  suffer  himself  to  be 
improperly  discouraged  for  the  want  of  any  little  pecuniary 
assistance — that  he  was  at  liberty,  at  any  such  time  to  draw 
on  him. 

This  was  one  of  those  noble,  benevolent  men,  that,  like 
the  generous  cow,  is  a  supporter  and  nourisher  of  the  weak 
and  helpless  part  of  the  human  family  ;  of  such  a  man,  a 
member  of  your  own  Quarter,  I  could  relate  something  simi- 
lar, were  it  not  for  reasons  ingeniously  expressed  by  the  poet, 
that— 

"  Praise  from  a  friend,  or  censure  from  a  foe, 
Is  lost  on  hearers  who  their  merits  know." 

Another  remarkable  case  of  the  kind  took  place  lately  ia 
one  of  our  commercial  cities.  A  valuable  tradesman  was  so 
led  astray  by  the  sceptical  notions  of  a  popular  woman,  as  to 
open  his  shop  on  what  is  called  the  Christian  sabbath.  The 
civil  authorities  of  course  interposed,  by  first  soliciting  him  to 
desist  from  a  practice  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  land;  his  friends 
joined  in  the  remonstrance,  but  it  proved  in  vain;  he  was  ob- 
stinate and  determined.  A  destructive  prosecution  ensued, 
which  ended  in  the  loss  of  his  property,  his  business,  and  his 
friends.  In  this  destitute  condition,  he  had  to  move  into  a 
small  house  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city,  where  he  soon  sunk 
into  the  quicksands  of  despair,  and  his  life  became  such  a  bur- 
then that  he  determined  to  commit  suicide  ;  but  feeling  a  de- 
sire to  solicit  the  attention  of  some  distant  friend  or  relative  to- 
wards his  helpless  family,  he  went  into  the  city  to  forward  a 
letter,  where  he  was  met  by  one  of  those  angels  of  mercy,  who 
spoke  kindly  to  him,  expressing  the  concern  he  had  felt  for  him, 
and  wished  to  know  what  he  was  doing,  and  whether  he  was 
in  any  business.  The  wretched  man  told  him  all,  and  that 
he  had  no  hope  left.  This  excellent  friend  requested  him  to 
call  at  his  store  at  four  o'clock;  he  did  so,  and  was  asked  how 
the  corner  of  such  a  street  would  suit  him  to  commence  busi- 
ness. *'  I  have  taken  that  place  for  thee,  and  here  is  a  check 
for  a  thousand  dollars."     What  language  possesses  force  suffi- 


316 

cient  adequately  to  describe  the  feelings  that  must  have  been 
reciprocally  experienced  !  What  harmony  of  sounds  can  set 
forth  the  exquisite  delight?  The  one  must  have  experienced  a 
foretaste  of  the  beatific  enjoyment  of  the  ransomed  and  redeem- 
ed of  the  Lord,  while  the  other  participated  in  a  portion  of  that 
joy  that  reigns  triumphant  among  the  angels  of  heaven,  over 
one  sinner  that  is  saved. 

Bear  with  me,  my  dear  friends,  while  1  add  one  more  noblo 
act  of  those  truly  great  and  excellent  men.  The  story  I  shall 
tell  was  told  to  me  near  twenty  years  ago  by  an  aged  English- 
man. The  distinguished  Dr.  F.,  of  London,  in  one  of  his 
nightly  visits  to  the  sick,  was  stopped  by  a  robber,  who  de- 
manded his  money.  The  doctor,  with  perfect  composure  and 
presence  of  mind,  handed  his  purse — observing,  the  money  was 
of  little  consequence,  but  the  consideration  that  a  young  man 
of  such  respectable  appearance  should  embark  in  so  dreadful 
an  enterprise,  that  must  eventually  end  in  ruin,  so  affected 
him  that  be  could  not  remain  silent.  The  robber  immediately 
burst  into  tears  and  sobbed  almost  aloud.  The  doctor,  with  his 
usual  tender  kindness,  affectionately  took  the  young  man^s  arra^ 
saying,  "  My  dear  youth,  I  feel  a  fatherly  affection  for  thee, 
and  wish  to  know  what  desperate  circumstance  has  driven  thee 
to  this  act/'  As  soon  as  the  young  man  could  speak,  he  told 
the  doctor  he  was  a  young  trader,  that  had  lately  started  busi- 
ness in  the  city,  and  had  been  persuaded  to  risk  his  little  capi- 
tal in  an  East  Indian  speculation,  that  was  likely  to  prove  his 
ruin,  as  the  vessel  had  not  been  heard  of;  and  after  exhausting 
every  honest  means  to  raise  money  to  meet  his  obligations,  the 
dread  of  being  to-morrow  shut  up  in  a  jail,  and  his  wife  and 
child  turned  into  a  poor-house,  had  driven  him  to  that  despera- 
tion. The  doctor  heard  him  thus  far  and  replied  :  "  I  am  Dr. 
F. ;  I  will  never  betray  thee.  Call  at  my  residence  to-morrow 
morning,  and  tell  me  all  that  is  in  thy  heart,  and  whatever  sum 
of  money  thou  mayst  need,  thou  canst  have."  They  then  part- 
ed ;  the  young  man  to  return  to  the  bosom  of  his  precious  lit- 
tle family,  for  whom  he  had  exposed  all  that  was  sacred  and 
dear,  to  give  thanks  for  having  been  snatched  from  the  vortex 
of  ruin  by  a  truly  Christian  friend  and  father  ;  and  the  doctor 
to  his  peaceful  pillow,  to  be  thankful  for  having  done  no  more 
than  what  it  was  his  duty  to  do,  ageeeably  to  the  commandment 
of  the  Saviour  to  his  disciples :  ''  Make  unto  yourselves  friends 


317 

of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  that  when  ye  fail  they  may 
receive  you  into  everlasting  habitations.''  I  was  further  in- 
formed that  this  robber  was  reclaimed,  and  lived  and  died  a  re- 
spectable and  useful  citizen,  and  near  his  close  revealed  the  se- 
cret of  this  remarkable  story. 

Here  were  too  men  that  appear  to  have  been  saved  from 
eternal  ruin  by  the  care  and  generosity  of  phlegmatic  Christians, 
that  had  denied  self  and  witnessed  that  change  of  heart  em- 
braced in  the  prophet's  figure.  Oh  !  what  a  blessing  it  would 
be  to  the  rational  family,  if  this  class  of  men  and  women  would 
all  become  such  Christians — they  would  be  as  Saviours  on 
Mount  Sion.  But  they  must  be  born  again — they  must  be- 
come new  creatures;  or  at  best,  they  will  only  be  like  the  dry 
cow,  keep  all  their  substance  within  themselves,  till  they  be- 
come fat  and  indolent,  quietly  lying  down  and  chewing  the  cud, 
perfectly  indifferent  to  the  sufferings  around  them.  Such  dull, 
inert  kind  of  creatures  appear  to  be  entirely  innocent  and  harm- 
less ;  but  should  some  poor  hungry  being  apply  to  them  for  re- 
lief, by  attempting  to  milk  them,  they  would  soon  find  them- 
selves in  contact  with  a  restive,  refractory  animal,  whose  heels  or 
horns  might  seriously  injure  them.  Men  and  women  of  this  de- 
scription, notwithstanding  they  may  be  valuable  members  of 
civil  society,  are  too  often  as  stumbling  blocks  in  the  way  of  hum- 
ble enquirers  after  truth,  because  they  are  too  often  put  for- 
ward in  religious  society  as  leaders  of  the  people,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  wealth  and  steady  habits,  instead  of  Christian 
experience,  and  consequently  are  like  Ephraim,  a  cake  not  turn- 
ed. Hence  the  appearance  of  their  bearish  natures,  when  the 
township  assessor  calls  on  them  to  value  their  property  and  as- 
certain the  amount  of  money  at  interest.  Here  too  often,  I 
fear,  like  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  they  make  false  statements,  and 
lose  all  the  little  life  of  religion  they  have.  When  these  hid- 
den works  of  darkness  come  to  be  found  out,  they  are  a  disgrace 
to  their  country  and  the  religious  society  to  which  they  belong. 
Wo  unto  such  rich  men,  for  they  have  received  their  consola- 
tion— the  Saviour  says  that  it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  such  rich  men  to  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Having  shown  to  what  a  state  of  perfection  such  men  and 
women  may  come  by  submitting  to  Christ's  baptism,  and 
having  that  cursed  selfishness  washed  away,  I  will  propose  a 

27* 


318 

remedy  for  the  diseased  state  of  religious  society.  Let  such  of 
our  precious  youth  as  have  been  called  with  a  high  and  holy 
calling,  to  follow  the  blessed  Saviour  of  the  world,  continue  to 
press  forward  to  perfection ;  carrying  out  practically  the  three 
great  cardinal  principles  of  Christianity  laid  down  in  that  me- 
morable sermon  on  the  Mount,  embracing  a  conclusive  testimo- 
ny against  war,  law  and  usury;  they  will  then  mount  upwards, 
as  on  the  wingsofcherubiras,  above  all  fighting  and  destroying  of 
the  lives  of  men,  above  all  litigation  and  contention,  above  all 
money-mongeringand  covetousness  ;  and  as  God's  children  they 
will  become  gentle,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even 
as  God  for  Christ's  sake  forgives  them.  Such  young  men  and 
women,  when  joined  in  holy  wedlock,  would  fulfil  with  pro- 
priety all  the  social  and  relative  duties  of  life,  and,  like  the 
little  robins  in  the  spring  time  of  the  year,  they  would  be  very 
industrious  in  collecting  the  particles  or  materials  necessary  to 
make  their  nest,  or  little  home,  for  the  comfort  and  accommo- 
dation of  their  families ;  and  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in 
Christ  Jesus  would  as  certainly  fix  bounds  to  their  desires 
and  exertions,  as  the  law  of  nature  fixes  bounds  to  the  work 
and  service  of  the  robin  ;  and  such  children  of  God  would  no 
more  be  permitted  to  lay  up  treasure  on  earth,  for  their  chil- 
dren that  may  come  after  them,  to  purchase  a  home  or  nest, 
than  the  robins  would  pervert  the  order  of  nature  by  building 
a  nest  after  harvest,  for  their  young  ones  the  ensuing  spring  ;  be- 
cause such  a  provision  would  deprive  their  young  ones  of  one  of 
the  greatest  sources  of  happiness,  the  collecting  the  little  par- 
ticles that  compose  their  nest.  For  it  is  evident  from  the 
sweet  and  beautiful  manner  of  their  singing  when  they  are 
thus  employed,  that  they  enjoy  life  more  than  at  any  subse- 
quent period  of  their  stay.  So,  dear  young  men  and  women, 
mated  together  in  the  divine  harmon}^,  humbly  and  industriously 
exerting  themselves  to  procure  a  little  farm  or  comfortable 
home,  and  honestly  and  honorably  paying  for  it  with  the  labor 
of  their  own  hands,  would  enjoy  more  rational  happiness  than 
in  any  other  earthly  situation.  And  oh  that  I  could  persuade 
such  Christians,  after  they  had  paid  for  their  humble  home, 
and  found  themselves  in  possession  of  a  few  hundred  dollars  that 
they  had  no  immediate  use  for,  that  they  would  apply  to  their 
Saviour  with  a  spiritual  prayer,  like — Oh,  thou  that  com- 
mandest  me  to   do  good,  and  lend,   let  the  light  of  thy  coun- 


319 

tenanco  go  before  me  to  where  thy  suffering  child  is,  that 
Thou  intendest  me  to  be  the  humble  instrument  of  relief.  Such, 
I  have  no  doubt,  would  be  Divinely  instructed,  and  led  to  some 
poor  discouraged  disciple  that  was  almost  ready  to  sink  into 
the  quicksands  of  despair ;  pressed  down  by  the  tremendous 
paw  of  grizzly  bear-like  creditor,  who,  not  having  received  his 
interest,  is  sternly  demanding  the  principal,  or  a  judgment 
bond.  Such  a  poor  distressed  brother  as  this,  (and  there  are 
too  many  such,)  after  having  spent  a  sleepless  night  in  this 
street  called  Strait,  where  all  the  relief  he  could  find  was  in 
prayer,  should  find  at  his  door  in  the  morning  the  good  Ana- 
nias, addressing  him  in  language  like  this — "  Dear  Brother,  the 
Lord  Jesus,  to  whom  thou  hast  prayed,  has  sent  me  to  give 
thee  this  money  without  usury  :  should  it  be  a  providential 
relief,  let  thanksgiving  and  praise  ascend  to  the  Giver  of  every 
good  and  perfect  gift,  and  only  let  me  be  viewed  as  a  Christian 
brother,  that  has  done  what  was  my  duty  to  do/'  AYhat  lan- 
guage can  describe  the  feelings,  the  gratitude  and  thankful- 
ness, that  such  a  soul  would  realize?  What  sincere  lo\e  and 
friendship  he  must  feel  for  such  a  brother !  Would  it  not 
lead  to  a  friendship  in  Christ,  that  would  knit  their  souls  to- 
gether with  stronger  ties  than  Jonathan  and  David  ?  Yea, 
the  sweet  and  grateful  savour  of  such  a  good  work  might  cause 
the  children's  children  to  glorify  their  Father  that  is  in  heaven. 
Let  such  of  our  precious  youth  be  persuaded,  especially  those 
of  a  phlegmatic  constitution,  whose  parents  have  left  them  in 
easy  circumstances,  to  set  such  a  practical  example  of  ever- 
lasting righteousness,  and  thus  lay  up  for  themselves  treasure 
in  heaven. 

I  will  now  close  this  part  of  my  discourse  with  reference 
to  the  apostle  Matthew,  who  appears  to  have  been  of  a  phleg- 
matic constitution,  and  was  found  by  our  Saviour  at  the  receipt 
of  custom— a  steady,  sober,  business-like  man — and  though  he 
might  have  been  looked  down  upon  by  the  priest  and  the  Pha- 
risee, as  a  publican  and  sinner,  that  was  very  deficient  in  com- 
ing up  to  their  traditional  notions  of  the  ten  commandments,  he 
was  certainly  an  example  in  the  eleventh  commandment,  which 
says,  let  every  man  mind  his  own  business  ;  or,  as  Paul  has  it 
— "  Study  to  be  quiet,  and  do  your  own  business."  There 
never  was  a  time  when  such  men  were  more  needed  in  our 
country,  to  balance  the  light,  idle,  gad-about,  shackling  spirit 


820 

of  the  age.  Yes,  I  repeat  it  again,  that  such  men  as  Matthew 
was,  eren  before  his  conversion,  are  the  very  sinews  of  the 
state,  and  although  they  make  but  little  profession  to  religion, 
what  religion  they  have  is  in  their  hearts,  not  in  their  heads. 
Hence  their  prayers  are  more  like  the  publican  than  the  Pha- 
risee, short  and  to  the  point.  And  moreover,  it  appears  that 
Matthew's  steady  attention  to  his  business  made  him  well  off 
as  to  the  things  of  this  world,  for  he  was  the  only  one  of  the 
twelve  that  was  rich  ;  but  having  become  a  disciple  of  Jesus, 
he  was  noble  and  generous  with  what  he  possessed,  and  made 
a  great  feast  for  his  Divine  Master,  inviting  many  publicans 
and  sinners.  Mark,  he  had  now  become  a  follower  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  was  therefore  then  more  willing  to  spend  and  be 
spent ;  to  make  ample  provision  for  the  comfort  and  enjoy- 
ment of  his  friends.  Now  had  he  been  like  some  of  our  phleg- 
matic professors  of  religion,  that  want  the  custom  of  making 
large  feasts,  or  public  weddings,  changed  to  less  expensive  and 
more  private  concerns,  he  might  have  reasoned  as  plausibly  as 
Judas,  /^for  what  purpose  is  this  waste?  this  expense  might 
have  been  saved  and  given  to  the  poor;"  and,  like  Judas,  not 
have  cared  for  the  poor,  but  to  save  money,  to  shave  notes,  or 
lay  usury  upon  some  poor  brother.  But  dear  Matthew  was 
changed  from  this  narrow  contractcdness, having  denied  self,  and, 
though  a  great  cross,  had  left  all  the  riches  and  honors  of  this 
world,  to  follow  Christ,  which  led  to  the  liberal,  benevolent 
spirit  embraced  in  the  language  of  the  prophet ;  '^  And  the 
cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed ;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down 
together."  Had  Matthew  been  like  too  many  of  our  strong 
political  men  of  the  world,  that  are  distinctly  called  with  a  high 
and  holy  calling,  and  righteousness,  temperance  and  judgment 
to  come  so  strongly  impressed  upon  their  minds,  that,  like 
Felix,  they  tremble  under  conviction,  yet  they  continue  to  put 
it  off  to  suit  their  own  convenience; — I  say,  had  Matthew  been 
like  these,  and  refused  to  follow  his  Saviour,  what  would  have 
become  of  him  ?  even  if  he  had  continued  to  hold  his  lucrative 
office,  and  increased  in  wealth  and  popularity  so  as  to  obtain  a 
seat  in  the  Jewish  sanhedrim  or  the  Roman  senate,  where 
would  he  have  now  stood  ?  Would  not  his  very  name  have 
been  lost  in  the  vortex  of  revolutions,  instead  of  standing  as  it 
certainly  now  does,  gloriously  enrolled  upon  the  records  of 
eternity,  while  his  gospel  of  heavenly  truths  adorns  the  first 


321 

pages  of  the  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ ;  presenting  his  precepts  and  example  as  the  most  pow- 
erful and  corroborating  stream  of  everlasting  light  and  love  ? 

I  come  now  to  the  fourth  and  last  class  of  mankind,  in 
whose  material  system,  or  animal  body,  the  element  of  fire  pre- 
dominates, and  hence  are  called  Choleric.  Now  these,  like  the 
phlegmatic,  being  stronger  in  intellect,  the  Lord's  prophet 
makes  use  of  the  most  powerful  and  courageous  animal  as  an 
emblem  of  their  unredeemed  and  wicked  state—''  And  the  lion 
shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox.'^  Now  the  lion  is  not  only  the 
most  powerful  and  courageous,  but  the  most  destructive  among 
inferior  animals ;  consequently  the  fear  or  dread  of  him  is  so 
universal  through  all  animated  nature,  that  he  is  styled  the 
king  of  beasts.  The  besetting  sin  of  men  and  women  of  this 
constitutional  make  is  pride  and  arrogance ;  proneness  to  an- 
ger ;  impatient  of  contradiction,  fierce,  cruel.  They  are  best 
described  in  the  language  of  the  patriarch  Jacob  :  "  Oh  my 
soul,  come  not  into  their  secrets — unto  their  assemblies,  mine 
honor,  be  not  thou  united  :  for  in  their  anger  they  slew  a  man, 
and  in  their  self-will  they  digged  down  a  wall :  cursed  be  their 
anger,  for  it  was  fierce,  and  their  wrath  for  it  was  cruel.  I 
will  divide  them  in  Jacob,  and  scatter  them  in  Israel. '^ 

This  beautiful  prophetic  declaraion  was  not  only  verified  in  the 
scattering  of  the  Jews  as  captives  in  all  nations,  but  the  same 
cause  is  producing  the  same  effects,  from  the  domestic  circle 
through  all  the  social  compacts,  in  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues, 
and  people :  for  wherever  such  men  and  women  are  found, 
oven  in  private  families,  they  will  be  head,  or  contend,  quarrel 
or  fight  for  it.  Hence  the  direful  altercations  that  too  often 
take  place  between  husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children, 
brothers  and  sisters,  friends  and  neighbors  ;  and  hence  too  the 
litigations  that  occupy  our  courts  of  justice,  and  the  bloody  and 
destructive  wars,  where  the  lives  and  property  of  men  are  des- 
troyed by  the  insatiable  ambition  of  such  men  as  Alexander 
and  Bonaparte.  But  it  is  under  the  profession  of  religion,  that 
a  greater  cause  than  the  cause  of  empires  and  kingdoms  is  sor- 
rowfully injured  ;  for  men  and  women  of  this  class,  when  they 
profess  to  be  religious,  and  have  never  denied  self,  or  witnessed 
the  lion  to  eat  straw  like  the  ox,  become  leaders  of  the  people, 
(for   leaders  they  will  be,)  that  the   cause  of  truth   suffers ; 


322 

whicli  is  abundantly  proved  by  the  page  of  history,  from  the 
orthodox  priests  and  their  satellites  in  the  Jewish  church,  at 
the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  down  to  the  present  day.  For 
such  choleric  professors  of  religion  are  predisposed  to  be  or- 
thodox. And  here  I  wish  distinctly  to  be  understood  as  not 
casting  any  reflections  upon  my  Friends  that  differ  from  me  in 
opinion.  What  I  mean  by  orthodoxy  is  that  malignant,  per- 
secuting spirit,  that  has  shed  more  blood,  and  been  guilty  of 
blacker  crimes,  than  any  other  spirit  in  Christendom.  A  spirit 
that  I  have  detected  in  my  own  breast,  that  would  lead  me, 
through  jealousy  and  envy,  to  hate  a  Christian  brother  or  sister, 
for  differing  from  me  in  mere  matter  of  opinion,  and  which  I 
am  ashamed  almost  to  think  of. 

When  such  choleric  men  and  women  get  to  be  leaders  in  the 
church,  and  are  not  daily  concerned  to  deny  self  and  take  up 
the  cross,  they  are  some  of  the  greatest  stumbling  blocks  in 
the  way  of  keen-sighted,  intelligent  inquirers.  The  self-will 
of  such  choleric  people  is  the  most  beautifully  described  in  the 
book  of  Job.  In  its  primeval  state,  it  is  said  to  eat  grass  like 
the  ox,  and  its  increasing  strength,  while  negatively  innocent, 
is  called  behemoth;  or,  as  the  poetical  language  has  it — '' Seest 
thou  not  behemoth,  that  I  have  created  with  thee  ?  lo !  he  eat- 
eth  the  grass  as  an  ox.^^  It  is  then  described  as  gradually 
leaving  the  Divine  harmony,  in  the  figure  of  leviathan,  and 
growing  into  a  monster,  that  causes  the  sea  to  boil  as  a  pot ; 
and  as  a  proof  that  it  is  the  man  of  sin,  or  son  of  perdition,  it 
expressly  says,  ^^  he  is  king  over  all  the  children  of  pride,^^ 
which  cannot  with  propriety  be  applied  to  any  animal  creature. 
Thus  it  appears  plain  to  me,  that  this  self-will,  or  strong  law 
of  animal  spirit  in  men  and  women  of  superior  talents,  when 
brought  back  to  its  original  state,  by  submitting  to  the  condi- 
tions contained  in  the  text,  is  clearly  embraced  in  the  figure  of 
the  ox — strong  and  powerful,  but  perfectly  docile  and  submis- 
sive. Such  have  ever  been  the  most  distinguished  instruments 
in  the  cause  of  Christ.  Oh,  my  dear  friends,  that  you  could 
be  persuaded  to  obey  your  Saviour's  command — "  Take  my 
yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  of 
mind,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls :"  and  of  all  the 
souls  of  the  children  of  men,  such  as  inhabit  an  animal  body 
where  the  element  of  fire  is  predominant,  are  the  furthest  at 
times  from  this  rest  3  for  unless  their  spirits  are  daily  qualified 


323 

with,  the  waters  of  life,  they  are  ever  liable  to  be  set  on  fire  of 
hell.     Then  their  tongue  becomes  a  fire,  a  world  of  iniquity 
among  the  members,  that  setteth  on  fire  the  course  of  nature, 
an  unruly  evil   full  of  deadly   poison.     The    misery  and  suf- 
fering that  springs  from  this  source  are  incalculable,  and  the 
safety  of  such  entirely  depends  upon  denying  self,  and  taking 
up  the  daily  cross ;   they  will  then  be  concerned  to  watch  and 
pray,  and  practise  his  blessed  example  of  silence  in  the  time  of 
temptation.     Then  they  may  be  angry  and  sin  not ;  for  Jesus 
himself  was  thus  angry,  when  he  saw  the  hypocritical  state  of 
the  priest  and  his  satellites,  that  were  watching  over  him  with 
an  evil  eye,  in  a  place  of  worship   on  the  sabbath  day ;   and 
when  he  in  mercy  and  goodness  relieved  a  poor  sufi^ering  crip- 
ple, they  accused  him  as  a  sabbath-breaker,  and  tried  to  take 
his  life,  no  wonder  he  looked  round  upon  them  with  anger ; 
for  he  was  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their  hearts.     Thus  it 
appears  that  when  anger  centres  in  grief,  it  is  so  far  from  being 
sinful,  that  it  may  be  a  virtuous  and  useful  passion.     When 
anger  produces  a  lust  for  revenge,  it  is  a  temptation  to  evil ; 
but  it  is  no  sin  to  be  tempted  except  we  give  way  to  the  temp- 
tation ;  and  this  lust  for  revenge   conceives  and  brings  forth 
hatred,  which  is   sinful,  when  personally  directed  towards  a 
brother  or  a  sister,   especially  when  finished  by  the  death  of 
the  Lamb  of  God  in  the  soul :  for  "  he  that  hateth  his  brother 
is  a  murderer,   and  no  murderer  hath  eternal  life.^^     But  to 
feel  hatred  as  an  evil  in  the  temptation  only,  is  essentially  ne- 
cessary in  order  to  overcome  it.     Hence  we  may  understand  a 
paradoxical  saying  of  the  Divine  Saviour  :   ^^  He  that  cometh 
after  me,  and  hateth  not  his  father  and  mother,  his  wife  and 
children,  his  brethren  and  sisters,  and  even  his  own  life,  he 
cannot  be  my  disciple. ^^     Hate  is  the  opposite  of  love,  and  the 
apostle  John  says  that  "  God  is  love ;''  and  by  a  parity  of 
reasoning  we  may  conclude  that  the  devil  is  hatred ;  now  this 
evil  must  be  made  manifest  by  the  light,  and  the  sin  of  hatred 
must  appear  to  us  exceeding  sinful  before  we  feel  the  need 
of  a  Saviour  to  save  our  souls  from  it,   and  enable  us  to  over- 
come it  ;  for  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  be  the  disciples  of  Christ 
without  overcoming  sin,  our  soul's  enemy;   and  it  is  equally 
impossible  to  overcome  what  does  not  exist :  for  if  there  be  no- 
thing to  war  with,  there  is  no  warfare;  and  if  there  be  no 
warfare  there  is  no  victory.     But  Paul  says,  in  reference  to  this 


324 

Tery  subject :  '^  Thanks  be  to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory, 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ/'  And  that  the  true  disciple- 
ship  stands  in  the  overcoming  of  evil  through  him  that  loved 
us,  and  gave  himself  for  us,  must  be  clear  to  all  that  believe 
this  testimony;  ''To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  sit 
with  me  on  my  throne ;  as  I  overcame,  and  have  sat  clown  with 
my  Father  on  his  throne/'  The  first  temptation  to  evil,  pre- 
sented to  a  rational  probationary  creature,  is  when  a  child  is 
restrained  in  the  indulgence  of  its  self-will  by  the  power  of  its 
parent  or  guardian  ;  its  little  countenance  will  often  be  distort- 
ed with  anger  and  hatred,  and  it  will  even  strike  its  parent. 
But  when  the  father  or  mother  has  witnessed  an  overcoming 
of  this  temptcition  themselves,  they  will  exercise  no  other  cor- 
poreal power  but  to  hold  the  child  still,  while  their  souls  will 
be  engaged  in  fervent  prayer  to  their  Saviour  for  help,  and 
while  the  tears  of  tenderness  are  rolling  down  their  cheeks,  the 
child  will  be  baptized  into  the  same  precious  spirit,  and  will 
then  tenderly  take  the  parent  round  the  neck,  and  ask  to  be 
forgiven.  Here  is  a  victory  over  evil,  and  here  is  the  true 
discipleship.  A  man,  by  the  passion  of  anger,  may  feel  hatred 
towards  some  action  of  his  wife,  and  if  he  suffers  himself  to  be 
drawn  away  and  enticed  by  a  lust  for  revenge,  until  this  lust 
conceiveth  and  bringeth  forth  the  sin  of  unkind  treatment,  he 
is  on  his  way  to  eternal  ruin ;  but  if,  on  the  first  discovery  of 
the  feeling  of  hatred,  he  prays  to  his  Saviour  for  help,  and  ex- 
periences all  anger  and  hatred  taken  away,  and  that  love  that 
every  good  man  ought  to  feel  for  his  wife  restored,  he  has 
gained  a  blessed  victory,  and  consequently  is  a  true  disciple  of 
Christ.  The  same  is  experienced  in  our  intercourse  with  our 
brethren  and  sisters  of  the  great  family  of  mankind ;  for  too 
often  either  real  or  imaginary  injuries  make  us  angry,  and  we 
feel  hatred  towards  them,  which,  if  indulged,  becomes  the  fruit- 
ful source  of  much  evil;  but  as  no  disciple  of  Christ  can  let  the 
sun  go  down  upon  his  wrath,  or  in  other  words,  can  close  his 
eyes  in  sleep  with  hatred  in  his  heart  against  a  brother  or  a 
sister,  so  he  must  forgive,  as  he  prays  to  be  forgiven ;  in  this 
exercise,  he  witnesses  an  overcoming  of  all  hatred,  and  becomes 
more  and  more  established  in  the  discijDleship — feeling  love 
supreme  to  Grod  his  Creator,  and  love  to  all  men  and  women 
his  fellow-creatures. 

In  the  same  probationary  conflict,  every  Christian  soldier 


325 

will  feel  sin  to  be  exceeding  sinful,  and  will  hate  his  own 
evil  life,  that  brings  forth  sin.  Oh  that  you,  my  dear  friends, 
with  my  own  soul,  may  so  follow  the  Captain  of  our  salvation, 
as  to  know  the  Seed  or  Word  of  Grod,  to  bruise  the  head  of  that 
serpent  that  is  the  author  of  all  hatred  against  fathers  and 
mothers,  husbands  and  wives,  brethren  and  sisters ;  and  so 
overcome  as  to  be  permitted  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  that 
stands  in  the  paradise  of  God.  Be  encouraged,  my  dear  friends, 
that  are  of  a  fiery,  passionate,  vindictive  temper,  remembering 
that  where  this  abounds,  grace  doth  much  more  abound ;  and 
even  where  lust  for  revenge  hath  conceived  and  brought  forth 
sin,  and  this  sin  reigned  unto  death,  this  grace  of  God,  that 
brings  salvation,  may  reign  in  righteousness  unto  eternal  life, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Some  of  the  highest  stars  in 
the  firmament  of  God's  power  have  been  of  this  class.  The 
most  valuable  father  in  the  church  of  Christ  I  ever  knew,  was 
a  man  of  a  choleric  complexion,  and  in  his  first  nature  like  a 
lion ;  but  when  I  knew  him,  he  was  as  patient,  submissive  and 
powerful  as  an  ox.  He  was  truly  to  me  a  precious  father, 
taking  me  by  the  hand  in  my  youth,  and  leading  by  precept 
and  example;  and  when  my  poor  soul  was  under  discourage- 
ment, or  tossed  on  the  tempestuous  billows  of  confusion  and 
darkness,  he  has  taken  me  as  it  were  in  his  arms,  and,  with  all 
the  tenderness  of  a  natural  father  to  an  only  son,  he  comforted 
and  encouraged  my  poor  drooping  spirit.  I  never  can  forget 
his  last,  indeed  I  may  say  his  dying,  testimony,  which  was  in 
substance  like  this  :  "  I  have  heard  some  Friends  prophesying 
thee  would  fall ;  but  I  said  in  my  heart,  God  forbid  !  and  look- 
ing for  thee  with  the  eye  of  my  mind,  I  thought  I  saw  thee 
sitting  at  thy  Saviour's  feet,  washing  them  with  thy  tears ; 
and  I  said  in  my  heart — Dear  child,  if  he  continues  thus,  he 
can  never  fall.  I  have  compared  thee,  sometimes,  to  Peter 
when  he  promised  his  Master  what  great  things  he  would  do, 
but  so  weak  and  unstable  as  to  perform  but  little.  Thou  art 
not  yet  acquainted  with  thy  own  weakness ;  and  yet,  with  all 
thy  weakness  and  imperfections,  I  hope  thou  art  a  sincere  be- 
liever, and  so  humbled  at  times  as  to  feel  the  need  of  sitting 
at  thy  Saviour's  feet  to  hear  the  gracious  word.  Ah !  dear 
child,  continue  daily  to  repair  to  that  secret  hiding  place,  where 
thy  enemy  can  never  prevail.  There  may  yet  be  a  change  in 
thy  circumstances ;  thou  art  now  poor  g.s  to  the  things  of  thi^i 

28 


326 

world,  "but  having  undertaken  to  be  a  farmer,  thou  mayst  suc- 
ceed in  that  business,  and  if  thou  should  become  a  great  farm- 
er, thou  mayest  take  a  life  in  talking  and  boasting  about  thy 
great  crop ;  and  like  the  hog  under  the  acorn-tree,  eating  the 
nuts  but  never  looking  up  to  where  they  came  from,  be  anxious 
to  sell  thy  produce  for  a  great  price,  and  get  rich ;  and  if  in 
addition  to  this  thou  shouldst  get  to  be  a  popular  preacher, 
keeping  company  with  the  rich,  and  pleased  with  the  praises 
of  the  weak  and  womanish, — I  say,  if  I  should  live  to  see  such 
a  change  in  thy  circumstances,  I  should  be  afraid  thou  wouldst 
surely  fall/' 

Ah  !  dear,  precious  elder,  thou  wast  worthy  of  double  honor, 
and  I  would  rather  ten  thousand  times  thou  couldst  have  left 
me  a  portion  of  the  mantle  that  clothed  thy  spirit,  than  the 
legacy  of  thy  earthly  estate.  But  I  have  still  greater  encour- 
agement for  high-spirited,  ambitious,  fiery  men  and  women, 
and  shall  endeavor  to  demonstrate  to  a  certainty,  that  if  they 
will  submit  to  the  terms  contained  in  the  text,  denying  self 
and  taking  up  the  daily  cross,  that  the  lion  will  eat  straw  like 
the  ox,  and  they  may  become  the  most  distinguished  and  useful 
disciples  of  Jesus  Christ.  For  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  apostle 
Paul  was  of  this  choleric  constitution  3  and  in  the  unregenerate 
state,  while  the  carnivorous,  voracious,  cruel  lion  ruled  in  him, 
was  one  of  the  most  malignant,  bitter  persecutors  that  ever 
lived  •  for  he  was  so  exceedingly  mad  against  the  children  of 
God,  that  he  persecuted  them  even  unto  strange  cities ;  but 
when  it  pleased  God  to  reveal  his  Son  in  Paul,  he  gave  up  to 
the  heavenly  vision,  and  witnessed  a  wonderful  change  from 
the  greatest  sinner  to  the  greatest  saint;  and  this  change  or 
miracle  was  as  much  gi'cater  than  turning  a  lion  into  an  ox,  as 
an  immortal  never-dying  soul  created  in  the  image  of  God  is 
greater  than  an  animal  body. 

Now  it  is  worthy  of  the  most  serious  consideration,  that  this 
wonderful  miracle  wrought  upon  the  soul  of  Paul,  by  which 
he  was  changed  from  a  proud,  imperious  theologian  to  a  hum- 
ble, industrious  follower  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  effected  by  the 
inward  and  spiritual  appearance  of  the  Son  and  Sent  of  God, 
the  only  thing  that  ever  made  a  true  Christian,  or  ever  will ; 
which  Paul  himself  clearly  shows  by  this  memorable  testi- 
mony ;  ''  When  it  pleased  God,  who  separated  me  from  my 
mother's  womb,  and  called  me  by  his  grace  to  reveal  his  Son 


327 

in  me,  that  I  might  preach  him  amongst  the  heathen,  (or  gen- 
tiles) immediately  I  consulted  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  but 
gave  up  to  the  heavenly  vision."  Hence  it  appears  clear,  that 
giving  up  to  be  led  and  guided  by  a  Christ  icitliin,  the  hope  of 
glory,  not  only  made  Paul  a  Christian,  but  furnished  him  with 
the  only  essential  qualification  for  an  apostle  to  the  gentile 
world,  which  he  further  declares  in  this  beautiful  language  : — 
^^  Whereof  I  was  made  a  minister,  according  to  the  gift  of  the 
grace  of  God,  given  unto  me  by  the  effectual  working  of  his 
power  :  to  me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  was 
this  grace  given,  that  I  might  preach  among  the  gentiles  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ;  making  all  men  know  the 
mystery  that  has  been  hidden  from  ages  and  generations,  but 
now  is  made  manifest  to  his  saints ;  to  whom  God  would  make 
known  what  is  the  mystery  of  this  glory  among  the  gentiles, 
tchich  IS  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory,  whom  we  preach, 
whereunto  I  also  labour,  striving  according  to  his  working, 
which  worketh  in  me  mightily." 

I  would  wish  here  to  give  a  view  which  I  think  is  correct, 
and  that  is  corroborated  by  matter  of  fact — that  such  profes- 
sors of  Christianity  as  place  all  their  dependence  on  the  out- 
ward appearance  of  Christ,  and  what  that  body  that  was  made 
of  a  woman  and  made  under  the  law,  suffered  for  them  without 
the  gates  of  Jerusalem  ]  I  say  these  can  come  no  further  than 
the  perfection  of  the  law — no  further  than  Peter  came  when 
he  could  fight,  lie  and  swear.  Indeed  it  is  doubtful  whether 
they  come  further  than  Paul  came  when  he  persecuted  the 
church  of  Christ.  Hence  we  may  understand  that  sorrowful 
and  affecting  paradox,  that  Christendom  is  composed  principally 
of  warriors,  liars,  swearers,  and  oppressing,  avaricious  money- 
mongers.  Now,  as  there  must  be  a  cause  for  this  effect,  I 
will  try  to  show  the  cause,  as  1  think  it  has  appeared  to  me. 

There  are  three  portions  of  the  divine  power  given  to  the 
souls  of  the  children  of  men,  according  to  their  state  and  situa- 
tion, in  order  for  their  salvation.  These  are  embraced  in  that 
beautiful  figure  of  speech  made  use  of  by  the  Divine  Saviour ; 
'^The  name  of  the  Father,  the  name  of  the  Son,  and  the  name 
of  the  Holy  Ghost;"  (mark,  the  name  and  the  poicer  are  here 
synonymous.)  That  portion  called  the  name  of  the  Father, 
was  with  the  children  of  men  when  death  reigned,  from  Adam 
to  Mosejs,  and  was  as  a  light  shining  in  a  dark  place,  to  such 


828 

as  had  not  sinned,  according  to  the  similitude  of  Adam's  trans- 
gression, giving  them  some  indistinct  view  of  a  great  first 
cause,  which  they  characterised  by  the  terms  of  Ja,  Jehovah, 
and  God,  which  was  systematised  and  enlarged  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  law  and  the  prophets ;  by  which  God,  at  sundry 
times  and  after  divers  manners,  spake  unto  the  fathers,  until 
He  was  pleased  to  manifest  himself  in  the  name  of  the  Son. 
This  Son,  as  Paul  testified,  was  made  of  a  woman,  made  under 
the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law.  In  this 
manifestation  of  the  Divine  power  in  the  name  of  the  Son, 
God  not  only  gave  to  mankind  a  perfect  pattern  of  everlasting 
righteousness,  but  the  highest  order  of  external  evidence,  by  a 
display  of  his  glorious  attributes — his  power  in  the  most  stu- 
pendous miracles — his  wisdom,  in  a  system  of  ethics  embracing 
the  purest  republicanism,  inseparable  from  the  purest  morality, 
the  world  of  mankind  ever  saw— and,  as  the  crown  and  diadem, 
the  darling  attribute  of  mercy  that  is  over  all  his  works,  and 
by  which  God  was  moved  to  pardon  guilty  man,  by  finishing 
the  transgression  and  making  an  end  of  sin,  bringing  in  ever- 
lasting righteousness,  and  anointing  the  most  holy,  agreeably 
to  the  sublime  view  of  the  prophet  Daniel.  But  the  manifes- 
tation of  the  last  and  greatest  portion  of  God's  power,  mercy 
and  goodness,  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  never  took  place 
till  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Then  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the 
soul,  made  his  second  appearance,  according  to  his  promise, 
without  sin  unto  salvation ;  thus  Peter  received  him,  and  be- 
came a  true  Christian,  and  never  fought,  lied  or  swore  any 
more ;  thus  Paul  received  Christ  when  he  appeared  to  him  be- 
tween Jerusalem  and  Damascus,  and  giving  up  to  the  heavenly 
vision,  he  for  ever  ceased  from  being  a  persecutor  :  and  thus 
were  these  eminent  ministers  qualified  to  preach  the  everlasting 
gospel  in  its  blessed  purity  and  simplicity,  with  the  Ploly 
Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven ;  and  hence  they  could  say,  in 
the  powerful  language  of  example,  Follow  us  as  we  follow 
Christ. 

It  appears  then  clear  to  me,  that  all  that  profess  to  be 
preachers  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  are  in  favor  of  war,  have 
never  been  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  or  in 
other  words,  have  never  had  Christ  revealed  in  them  ;  and 
therefore  their  dependence  is  in  what  Christ  done  without 
them,  and  as  they  can  only  teach  as  far  as  they  have  been 


329 

taught,' — and  that  is  the  outward  manifestation  which  the  Sa- 
viour declared  was  to  be  removed,  or  go  away,  that  the  Com- 
forter, or  Holy  Grhost,  might  come — it  appears  that  our  Saviour 
prophesied  of  those  kind  of  preachersj  (for  tliey  are  many) 
when  he  said,  "Many  shall  come  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am 
Christ,  and  -shall  deceive  matiy/'  (mark,  this  personal  pronoun 
/,  that  was  to  go  away.)  Now  does  it  not  appear  clear  that 
these  many  preachers,  that  are  telling  the  people  that  this  /,  or 
outward  manifestation,  is  the  Christ  that  is  to  save  their  souls 
and  make  them  true  Christians,  are  deceived  themselves,  and 
consequently  are  deceiving  the  people  ?  That  the  people  are 
generally  deceived  is  evident  from  the  spirit  manifested  through- 
out Christendom  -,  for  instead  of  being  Christ-like,  by  denying 
self  and  taking  up  the  daily  cross,  manifesting  an  innocence, 
liberality  and  patience,  like  the  lamb,  the  kid,  the  cow  and  the 
ox,  their  fruits  demonstrate  to  a  certainty  that  self  is  the  ruling 
principle,  and  that  they  are  in  their  unregenerate  state,  and 
therefore  like  wolves,  leopards,  bears  and  lions — devouring, 
tearing,  oppressing  and  killing  one  another.  Is  not  this  a  truth 
that  cannot  be  denied  ?  and  if  so,  is  there  not  a  cause  for  this 
sorrowful  effect  ?  And  can  there  be  any  other  cause  than  that 
the  fighting,  lying,  swearing,  wordly-rainded  professors  of  the 
religion  of  Jesus,  that  compose  the  great  variety  of  names  in 
Christendom,  have  either  never  been  baptized  in  the  name  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  or  had  Christ  revealed  in  them,  or  they  are 
disobedient  to  the  heavenly  vision  and  do  not  follow  Christ ; 
and  consequently  are  no  Christians,  but  are  at  best  only  under 
the  law  covenant,  that  never  could  make  the  comers  thereunto 
perfect?  Hence  the  propriety  of  their  dependence  for  redemp- 
tion on  the  propitiatory  sacrifice  of  that  that  was  made  of  a  wo- 
man, made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  are  under  the  law. 
But  all  that  are  come  under  the  covenant  of  grace,  are  made 
true  Christians,  by  having  Christ  revealed  in  them  as  Paul  had, 
or  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  Peter  was  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  These  have  no  need  of  going  back  more 
than  eighteen  hundred  years  to  what  Christ  done  without  them, 
outside  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  for  their  hope  of  glory  is  now  a 
Christ  within ;  and  by  looking  for  his  blessed  appearance  in 
their  own  souls,  they  will  too  often  find  him  crucified  in  the 
streets  of  spiritual  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  the  truly  awakened 
sinner,  like  Peter,  weeps  bitterly  in  seeing  a  suffering  Saviour. 

28* 


380 

Such  enlightened  souls  have  no  need  to  support  speculation  and 
superstition,  by  paying  their  money  to  see  West's  celebrated 
picture  of  a  Christ  rejected,  for  they  can  see  \\ith  their  spiritual 
eye  the  reality  within  themselves,  whenever  they  have  refused 
to  comply  with  the  conditions  contained  in  the  text,  and  have 
followed  cursed  self  instead  of  a  Christ  within^  the  hope  of  glo- 
ry ; — such,  in  substance,  practically  say^  like  the  Jews  that 
were  blessed  with  his  outward  appearance,  ''  Crucify  him,  cru- 
cify him,  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas;''  and  as  certainly  as 
Barabbas  was  a  seditious  murderer,  this  cursed  self,  as  the  prime 
agent  of  the  devil,  was  a  liar  and  a  murderer  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  abode  not  in  the  truth.  But  all  such  as  are  obedient; 
to  the  heavenly  vision,  denying  self,  taking  up  the  daily  cross, 
will  partake  of  the  everlasting  advantages  of  the  spiritual  suf- 
ferings of  Jesus  Christ,  knowing  him  in  the  present  time  to  be 
a  propitiation  for  their  sins,  These  know,  like  Paul,  a  being 
crucified  with  Christ,  and  buried  with  him,  in  his  spiritual  bap- 
tism ;  so  that,  like  as  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead  by  the 
glory  of  the  Father,  so  they  also  walk  in  the  newness  of  life.— 
These,  and  these  only,  have  an  experimental  knowledge  of  that 
great,  peculiar  and  standing  doctrine  of  Christianity,  delivered 
by  the  Saviour  himself :  '*  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God; 
that  that  is  born  of  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  that  is  born  of  spirit 
is  spirit.  Marvel  not  that  I  say  unto  thee,  ye  must  be  born 
again;  the  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  thou  hearest  the  sound 
thereof,  but  thou  knowest  not  whence  it  cometh,  nor  whither  it 
goeth ;  so  are  all  they  that  are  born  of  the  Spirit-^^ 

Finally,  my  friends,  farewell !  May  the  melancholy  be  en- 
couraged and  the  sanguine  quieted ;  may  the  phlegmatic  be 
tendered  and  the  choleric  humbled ;  may  self  be  denied  and 
the  cross  of  Christ  worn  as  a  daily  garment ;  may  his  peacea- 
ble kingdom  for  ever  be  established  in  the  rational,  immortal 
soul ;  then  will  be  fulfilled  the  prophetic  declaration  of  the 
infinitely  wise  Jehovah,  through  his  evangelical  prophet — 
"  The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard 
shall  lie  down  with  the  kid;  the  calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and 
the  fatling  together,  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them ;  the 
cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed,  their  young  shall  lie  down  to- 
gether, and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox.     The  sucking 


331 

child  shall  play  upon  the  hole  of  an  asp,  and  the  weaned  child 
shall  put  its  hand  on  the  cockatrice's  den.  Nothing  shall 
hurt  or  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain,  for  the  earth  shall 
be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea/^ 


WORD   OF  EXHORTATION 


YOUNG    FRIENDS: 


PRESENTED   TO    THEM 


WITHOUT   MONEY   AND   WITHOUT   PRICE. 


BY  A   POOR   ILLITERATE   MINISTER. 


The  following  word  of  Exortatlon  was  written  in  connexion 
with  a  Narrative  of  the  Writer's  Life,  with  no  expectation  at  the 
time  of  its  being  published  in  any  other  way.  But  the  present 
unsettled  state  of  the  Society  of  Friends  seemed  to  lay  him  under 
an  obligation  to  make  a  feeble,  and  perhaps  last  effort  to  restore 
that  peace  and  unity  for  which  Friends  were  once  so  remarkable, 
by  offering  his  mite  at  this  time.  The  excuse  offered  for  the  short- 
ness and  deficiencies,  observable  to  the  reader,  in  the  arguments 
on  several  subjects,  therefore,  is,  that  they  were  treated  more  fully 
and  at  large  in  the  above  mentioned  Narrative. 


A  WORD   OF   EXHORTATION. 


Beloved  young  Friends, — 

I  feel  a  religious  concern  thus  to  address  jou,  to  try  to 
encourage  you  to  fulfil  a  duty  that  I  think  will  be  required  of 
you  by  the  Great  Head  of  the  church,  to  endeavor  to  build  up 
the  waste  places  that  your  fathers  may  have  thrown  down,  and 
gather  the  scattered  and  dispersed  sheep,  from  the  east  and 
from  the  west,  from  the  north  and  from  the  south,  to  Jesus 
Christ,  the  everlasting  shepherd  and  bishop  of  souls,  that  the 
people  who  once  called  themselves  the  people  of  God,  may 
once  more  be  gathered  into  one.  I  had  hoped  at  the  time  of  the 
separation  among  Friends,  I  should  live  to  see  the  Society  come 
together  again  :  but  the  wall  that  has  been  built  by  the  Ortho- 
dox disownments,  and  the  discipline  that  has  been  changed  by 
the  unsettling  spirits  among  Friends,  together  with  the  feeble- 
ness of  my  hold  on  life,  has  dissipated  that  hope,  and  thrown 
it  upon  the  rising  generation.  There  is,  however,  now  a  valu- 
able body  of  religious  Friends  on  both  sides,  that  might  easily 
unite,  if  they  were  not  connected  with  the  two  sad  extremes ; 
but  these  appear  now  to  be  going  fast  to  their  respective 
places, — the  extreme  orthodox  to  the  church  of  anti-Christ, 
and  the  extreme  ultra  reformers  to  something  like  Unitarian 
scepticism;  and  a  way  is  now  opening  for  you,  dear  young 
Christian  friends,  to  come  together  in  the  unity  of  the  spirit 
and  the  bond  of  peace.  Embrace  then  every  right  opportunity 
to  promote  this  desirable  end,  by  every  act  of  Christian  kind- 
ness and  aifection;  this  will  prepare  you  to  labor  successfully 
in  the  church  of  Christ,  bringing  back  our  excellent  discipline 
to  the  Christian  standard, — throwing  down  that  ridiculous  wall 
of  proscription,  and  for  ever  silencing  all  altercations  and  dis- 
putes about  mere  outward  forms  and  inexplicable  doctrines, 
those  disgraceful  bones  of  contention,  that  have  been  marked 
with  darkness  and  confusion  from  the  controversy  in  the 
Corinthian  church,  down  to  the  unhappy  controversy  among 
Friends. 

I  wish  distinctly  to  be  understood,  that,  notwithstanding  I 
29 


388 

regret  exceedingly  tlie  tremendous  concussion  that  lias  sliaken 
Friends  to  pieces,  I  am  not  prepared  to  condemn  the  part  I 
have  taken  :  far  from  it ;  fully  believing  that  after  Orthodox 
Friends  had  determined  to  adopt  that  anti-Christian  policy  of 
disowning,  that  had  scattered  and  distracted  Friends  in  Ireland 
and  New  England,  the  peaceable  plan  adopted  by  the  great 
body  of  Friends,  composing  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Philadel- 
phia, assembled  at  Green  street,  1827,  was  the  very  thing  that 
saved,  for  the  time  being,  the  Yearly  Meeting  from  total  ruin. 
And  it  is  now  for  you,  dear  young  Friends,  and  Orthodox 
Friends,  to  carry  out  this  plan  as  originally  proposed,  in  the 
peaceable  spirit  of  Jesus,  with  decency,  forbearance  and  love 
to  each  other,  and  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Philadelphia  will 
continue  to  be  saved,  with  an  everlasting  salvation ;  and  all 
honor,  praise,  thanksgiving  and  renown,  will  be  ascribed  to 
the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

But  in  order  effectually  to  attain  to  this  desirable  end,  you 
must  first  become  Christians,  by  a  belief  and  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  that  works  by  love  and  purifies  the  soul.  This  belief 
and  faith  is  the  precious  gift  of  G-od,  and  must  be  sought  for; 
and  let  me  tell  you,  dear  young  Friends,  for  your  encourage- 
ment, what  I  most  assuredly  believe,  that  if  you  seek  you  will 
find,  and  if  you  ask  you  will  receive.  I  know  what  I  say  by 
blessed  experience j  I  speak  the  truth  in  Christ;  I  lie  not.  I 
sought  on  the  bended  knee  of  my  soul,  for  this  belief  and  faith 
in  my  blessed  Saviour,  and  I  know  that  it  has  been  granted, 
with  an  increase  of  love  for  him  and  all  my  fellow-creatures  ', 
and  I  verily  believe  that  if  I  can  be  favored  to  continue  my 
daily  exercise  of  prayer,  thanksgiving  and  praise,  my  heavenly 
Shepherd  will  keep  me  in  humble  obedience  to  a  peaceable 
and  happy  conclusion  in  his  everlasting  kingdom.  This  belief 
and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  does  not  stand  in  airy  speculation, 
nor  a  mere  acknowledgment  of  what  Christ  done  without  us 
1800  years  ago,  though  it  reverences  that  stupendous  event ; 
but  it  stands  in  an  unshaken,  experimental  belief  of  what 
Christ  is  doing  within  us,  as  an  omnipresent  Saviour,  saving 
us  from  sin  by  casting  out  the  evil  spirits,  and  curing  the  dis- 
eases of  our  souls.  Oh  !  the  magnitude  and  importance  of 
this  distinguishing  doctrine  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  which 
is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  doctrine  of  the  primitive' 
saints,  and  the  substance  of  the  heavenly  message  to  the  gen- 


339 

tile  world,  "  Christ  icithin,  the  hope  of  glory. ''^  Seek,  then  to 
know  this  Christ,  as  Paul  did  when  he  was  revealed  in  him  in 
such  a  glorious  manner  that  Paul  was  determined  to  know  no- 
thing but  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified :  do  not  lose  this 
ever  blessed  knowledge,  by  vain  metaphysical  speculations 
about  manner  or  form,  that  can  never  make  you  wiser  or  bet- 
ter ;  for  if  ever  you  succeed  in  raising  the  Society  of  Friends 
from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  to  put  on  its  beautiful  primitive 
garments,  it  will  be  distinguished  for  practical  righteousness, 
loving  and  helping  one  another,  and  for  that  plain  way  of  liv- 
ing and  plain  way  of  preaching,  that  the  father  of  the  illustri- 
ous William  Penn  saw,  if  kept  to,  would  put  an  end  to  priest- 
craft for  ever.  Return  then,  dear  young  friends,  immediately 
to  the  path  of  humble  industry — a  path  gloriously  honored  by 
the  manifestation  of  Grod  in  the  flesh — a  path  that  will  un- 
doubtedly lead  to  rational  happiness  in  this  world,  and  ever- 
lasting happiness  in  the  world  to  come. 

And  you,  dear  young  friends,  that  are  rich,  submit  cheer- 
fully to  the  unchangeable  terms  of  salvation,  as  proposed  by 
the  Divine  Saviour  to  a  rich  young  man  formerly,  "  Sell  that 
thou  hast,  give  to  the  poor,  and  come  take  up  thy  cross  and 
follow  me,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven.^'  Don't 
turn  away  as  he  did,  sorrowful,  lest  in  your  case  the  addition- 
al testimony  of  the  Saviour  should  be  applicable,  '^  How 
hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.''  '^  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of 
a  needle,  than  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom.''  Think 
then  of  the  uncertainty  of  all  earthly  riches,  and  their  dread- 
ful opposition  to  entering  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Think 
then,  I  beseech  you,  of  the  awfulness  of  what  is  now  at  stake  ] 
if  you  are  obedient  to  Christ's  commandments,  your  happiness 
is  secured  in  time  and  in  eternity — if  you  are  disobedient  to 
the  heavenly  vision,  you  lose  all  that  is  worth  living  for, 
while  you  may  only  gain  what  may  constitute  the  fuel  for 
everlasting  fire.  I  will  now  seriously  propose  to  such  of  you 
as  are  in  possession  of  a  superabundance  of  the  riches  of  this 
world,  a  superfluity  that  undoubtedly  has  injured  the  Society 
of  Friends  more  than  all  other  superfluities,  because  in  fact  it 
is,  directly  or  indirectly,  the  mother  of  all,  as  certainly  as 
^^  the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil :"  I  say  I  will  pro- 
pose, first,  to  the  farmer  that  has  150  acres  of  land,  to  take 


340 

50  acreSj  with  the  buildings,  for  a  home  for  himself  and  family 
— then  sell  50  acres,  and  appropriate  so  much  of  the  money 
as  will  put  humble,  comfortable  buildings,  &c.,  on  the  remain- 
ing 50  acres,  making  a  snug  farm  ;  put  the  rest  of  the  money 
out  to  some  poor  Friend  without  interest — then  tell  another 
young  Friend  that  is  a  farmer,  and  about  to  settle,  but  has  not 
the  means  to  purchase  a  farm,  "  Dear  friend,  take  my  farm 
and  pay  the  taxes,  and  thee  shall  have  it  five  years  without 
any  other  rent ;  that  may  assist  thee  to  buy  a  little  farm  for 
thyself."  Now  it  appears  clear  to  me  that  50,  nay  25  acres 
of  good  land,  with  suitable  improvements,  are  enough  for  any 
humble  follower  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  if  he  is  clothed  with 
Christian  humility,  he  will  not  be  easy  with  any  superfluity. 
Hence,  his  wants  being  few,  his  industry  will  more  than  sup- 
ply them,  and  at  the  end  of  every  year  he  will  have  money  to 
put  out,  which,  if  he  is  such  a  Christian  as  I  wish  him  to  be, 
he  will  do  without  usury  •  as  the  Lord  commanded  his  faith- 
ful servants  and  prophets  from  Moses  to  Ezekiel,  more  than  a 
thousand  years,  and  then  gloriously  asserted  the  same  great 
commandment  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Think  then, 
dear  young  friends,  of  the  blessedness  and  happiness  insepara- 
ble from  such  a  course  of  life,  and  the  certainty  of  the  condi- 
tions contained  in  the  text,  "And  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in 
heaven  •/'  an  inexhaustible  treasure,  whose  heavenly  fruition 
will  continue  throughout  the  endless  ages  of  eternity.  But 
oh  !  reflect  with  a  seriousness  proportionable  to  the  awfulness 
of  the  consideration,  that  if  you  will,  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  high  and  holy  command,  continue  to  hold  on  to  the  riches 
of  this  world,  remember  that  the  declaration  of  the  apostle 
remains  an  unchangeable  truth,  that  '^they  that  will  be  thus  rich, 
fall  into  a  temptation  and  a  snare,  and  into  many  hurtful  and 
foolish  lusts,  that  drown  men  in  perdition  and  destruction." 
The  above  proposition  will  apply  equally  to  the  merchant,  the 
tradesman,  and  the  several  occupations  of  life,  because  every 
Christian  undoubtedly  ought  to  be  influenced  by  that  wisdom 
embraced  in  the  prayer  of  Agur,  the  son  of  Jaketh,  "  Two 
things  have  I  required  of  thee  ;  deny  me  them  not  before  I 
die ;  remove  far  from  me  vanity  and  lies ;  give  me  neither 
poverty  nor  riches ;  feed  me  with  the  food  convenient  for  me, 
lest  I  be  full  and  deny  thee,  and  say.  Who  is  the  Lord  ?  Or 
lest  I  be  poor  and  steal,  and  take  the  name  of  my  God  in 


341 

vain."  These  rational  and  heavenly  views,  so  consistent  with 
the  fundamental  doctrines  of  Christianity,  happy  would  it 
have  been  for  the  Society  of  Friends,  had  they  more  consci- 
entiously adhered  to  them,  at  the  rising  of  worldly  prosperity 
amongst  them  after  the  passing  of  the  Toleration  Act,  at  the 
close  of  the  seventeenth  century ;  and  continued  to  bring  up 
their  children  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  with  no  other 
dependence  than  the  blessing  of  their  Heavenly  Father  on 
their  own  exertions.  This  would  have  taxed  their  own  re- 
sources, and  called  all  the  energies  of  body  and  mind  into  ac- 
tion, and  hence  there  would  have  been  a  succession  of  stand- 
ai'd  bearers,  more  resembling  the  blessed  pattern  shown  them 
'in  the  holy  mount.  One  would  have  really  thought  that  the 
single  circumstance  of  William  Penn's  children  (anticipating 
the  great  estate  and  popularity  of  their  father)  leaving  the 
Society  and  becoming  prodigals  and  politicians,  would  have  been 
sufficient  to  have  opened  the  eyes  of  Friends,  to  see  the  direful 
effect  that  expected  estates  and  popularity  has  upon  the  child- 
ren of  Friends ;  while  the  evil  genius  of  usury,  inseparably 
connected  with  such  estates,  influencing  Quaker  merchants  of 
London,  by  the  name  of  Ford,  to  sue  William  Penn  at  law, 
causing  him  to  be  arrested,  taken  from  a  meeting  by  the 
sheriff,  and  sent  to  prison  for  a  debt  composed  in  part  of  com- 
pound usury  and  trumpery,  that  abominable  abomination  to 
Christian  justice  and  equity, — I  say,  one  would  have  really 
thought  all  this  would  have  been  sufficient  to  open  their  eyes 
to  behold  the  evil  that  was  coming  upon  Friends  by  usury,  the 
great  high  priest  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness.  Happy 
would  it  have  been  for  the  Society  of  Friends,  had  they  recog- 
nised a  testimony  against  usury  with  their  other  noble  Chris- 
tian testimonies,  when  they  embraced  the  religion  of  Jesus 
suffering  on  the  cross,  as  beautifully  described  by  a  late  emi- 
nent English  writer,  in  a  language  like  this,  '^  The  glory  of 
Christianity  is  its  benevolent  morality — its  exquisite  adaptation 
to  the  human  heart— the  facility  with  which  it  accommodates 
itself  to  the  lowest  human  intellect — the  consolation  that  it 
bears  to  the  house  of  mourning,  and  the  light  with  which  it 
brightens  the  great  mystery  of  the  grave.  To  such  a  religion 
it  can  be  no  additional  strength  or  beauty  to  make  it  a  part  or 
parcel  of  the  common  law.  It  would  not  be  left  for  the  first 
time  to  depend  upon  the  strength  of  its  own  evidence,  or  the 

29* 


342 

beauty  of  its  own  attractions.  Its  sublime  theology  confound- 
ed the  Grrecian  schools  in  a  fair  conflict  of  reason  with  reason. 
The  bravest  and  wisest  of  the  Cassars  found  their  arms  and 
their  policy  unavailing,  when  opposed  to  the  weapons  that 
were  not  carnal,  and  the  kingdom  that  was  not  of  this  world. 
They,  then,  that  would  force  temporal  policy  upon  such  a  re- 
ligion, treat  her  as  the  Romans  did  her  Divine  Author;  they 
bow  the  knee,  and  spit  upon  her, — they  cry  hail,  and  smite 
her  on  the  cheek, — they  put  a  sceptre  into  her  hand,  but  it  is 
a  fragile  reed, — they  crown  her,  but  it  is  with  thorns,— they 
cover  with  purple  the  wounds  their  own  hands  have  inflicted, 
and  inscribe  magnificent  titles  over  the  cross  on  which  they 
have  fixed  her  to  sufier  in  ignominy  and  pain/^ 

Thus  suflFering  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century 
in  England,  Friends  embraced  this  high  and  holy  religion  ; 
happy  would  it  be  for  the  Society  of  Friends  if  they  could 
continue  in  its  bosom  !  But  if  they  do,  it  appears  to  me  they 
must  return  to  the  heavenly  precepts  of  its  Pivine  Author, 
and  recognise  that  great  Christian  testimony  against  usury, 
that  was  seen  so  clearly  by  the  Waldenses,  the  brightest  stars 
in  the  night  of  apostacy,  a  people  that  took  their  rise  in  France 
about  the  twelfth  centiu-y,  and  continued,  if  I  am  not  mistaken, 
undivided  witnesses  for  Jesus  Christ  for  near  three  hundred 
years,  notwithstanding  the  violent  opposition  of  the  secular 
power,  and  bitter  persecution  of  the  priests.  The  instniment 
made  use  of  to  gather  this  people,  was  an  illiterate  merchant 
of  Lyons,  who  hired  an  ecclesiastic  to  translate  the  New  Tes- 
tament into  his  mother  tongue,  by  which  he  saw  that  heaven- 
ly commandment  of  Christ  to  the  rich  man, — "  Sell  that  thou 
hast,  give  to  the  poor,  take  up  thy  daily  cross  and  follow  me, 
and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven.^'  He  considered  this 
commandment  to  embrace  the  unchangeable  terms  of  salva- 
tion, and  did  not  turn  away  sorrowful,  reasoning  with  flesh 
and  blood,  but  gave  up  immediately  to  the  heavenly  vision, 
sold  his  great  possessions,  giving  to  the  poor,  reduced  himself 
to  the  necessity  of  laboring  with  his  own  hands  for  a  living 
like  the  primitive  saints.  He  was  soon  joined  by  the  true 
lovers  and  followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  adopting  the  sermon 
on  the  Mount  for  their  creed,  they  carried  it  out  practically, 
by  bearing  the  most  faithful  testimony  against  hireling  min- 
istry ;  and  consequently  against  superfluous  school  learning, 


343 

idleness  and  pride;  and  the  strictness  of  their  discipline 
against  usury,  and  consequently  against  accumulating  worldly 
estates,  was  such,  that  it  enjoined  even  their  ministers  to  be 
poor  and  illiterate,  and  earn  their  living  by  the  labor  of  their 
own  hands.  They  bore  likewise  a  foithful  and  consistent  tes- 
timony against  war,  and  going  to  law,  or  taking  an  oath  of 
any  kind.  These  were  the  people  that  shook  the  very  found- 
ation of  the  church  of  Anti-christ  in  Europe,  without  making 
any  resistance  whatever.  But  alas  !  the  evil  genius  of  usury, 
or  the  love  of  money,  joined  with  pride  and  power,  produced 
a  division  amongst  them,  subdivisions  soon  took  place,  and 
they  are  now,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  only  to  be  found  in  frac- 
tional parts,  spread  over  Europe  and  America,  under  the  de- 
nominations of  Menonists,  Moravians,  Anabaptists,  &c. 

The  Society  of  Friends  have  not  existed  as  an  organized  body 
two  hundred  years,  yet  the  same  evil  geniuses,  namely,  usury, 
pride  and  power,  have  already  caused  a  division,  if  not  a  subdi- 
vision ;  and  if  you,  dear  young  Friends,  do  not  arise,  and  shake 
yourselves  loose  from  the  fetters  of  Anti-christ,  and  put  on  the 
beautiful  garments  of  primitive  Christianity,  I  seriously  fear, 
that  before  the  close  of  the  two  thousand  years,  granted  in  mercy 
to  the  gentile  world,  the  Society  of  Friends  will  only  be  found 
scattered  in  insignificant  fractions,  called  Quakers,  Friends, 
Orthodox  Friends,  Abolitionists,  &c.  Think  then,  seriously, 
of  the  importance  of  saving  the  Society,  and  removing  obnox- 
ious epithets,  by  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace, 
following  after  practical  righteousness,  in  the  blessed  example 
of  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

I  have  not  lived  to  be  sixty-four  years  of  age,  without  obser- 
vation on  men  and  things  as  I  have  passed  through  the  world, 
and  my  little  experience  I  now  affectionately  offer  for  your  se- 
rious consideration.  I  have  observed  a  bad  effect  of  expected 
property  or  estates  from  wealthy  parents,  on  their  children,  and 
lived  to  see  the  ruin,  as  it  were,  of  a  number  of  the  most  in- 
teresting and  promising  families,  in  the  little  circle  in  which  I 
have  moved.  Children  too  often  anticipate  the  full  amount  of 
what  their  parents  may  possess,  and  in  the  indulgence  of  their 
cogitations,  the  enemy  of  their  souls  too  often  gains  such  an 
ascendency,  as  to  tempt  them  to  wish  their  parents  or  relatives 
dead,  that  they  might  get  possession  of  their  property ;  hence 
that  hardness  of  heart  and  difficulty  of  understanding,  attend- 


344 

ing  che  settlement  of  large  estates,  that  too  often  ends  in  con- 
tention and  litigation,  destroying  all  that  aifection  and  good 
feeling  that  ought  ever  to  exist  between  brethren  and  sisters  : 
hence,  too,  the  sorrowful  feelings  that  have  too  often  clothed 
my  mind  when  attending  the  funeral  of  the  rich,  when  I  have 
seen  and  felt  what  is  so  beautifully  described  by  Blair,  the  heirs 
impatient  to  examine  the  will,  looking  upon  each  other  with 
jealous  eyes,  already  beginning  to  dispute  about  the  division  of 
property.  How  then  can  a  Christian  parent  spend  the  best  of 
his  days  in  accumulating  food  for  that  worm  that  never  dies, 
and  fuel  for  that  fire  that  is  never  quenched  ? 

I  have  observed  another  bad  effect  upon  the  children  of  such 
as  are  in  the  pursuit  of  wordly  riches,  by  their  exposure  to  bad 
company,  and  consequently  bad  influence.  Such  as  have  large 
farms,  or  large  business,  must  necessarily  employ  a  number  of 
hands,  amongst  whom  are  too  often  the  most  immoral  and  pro- 
fligate ;  and  children  seeming  naturally  fond  of  the  company  of 
such,  it  is  in  the  hitclicn,  in  the  absence  of  the  parents,  that 
children  too  often  receive  the  first  rudiments  of  an  education 
that  is  the  ruin  of  their  morals.  It  is  too  often  in  the  kitchen 
of  the  large  farmer  or  tradesman,  that  the  poor  bound  girl  is 
exposed  to  the  wiles  of  the  seducer,  that  too  often  leads  to  de- 
gradation, if  not  the  ruin  of  her  character  for  ever.  I  have 
seen  myself,  in  my  childhood,  the  most  shameful  and  licentious 
conduct  under  the  roof  of  the  respectable  farmer,  in  the  absence 
of  the  heads  of  the  family.  On  this  subject  I  could  say  much, 
if  it  were  not  for  brevity's  sake,  for  my  heart  is  full  of  sympa- 
thy and  feeling  for  the  sadly  neglected  and  exposed  children  ; 
especially  poor  little  bound  children,  and  more  especially  among 
Friends.  What  answer  will  such  parents  and  guardians  make 
in  the  day  of  final  judgment,  should  the  following  query  be 
put  to  them,  ^'  What  hast  thou  done  with  those  lambs  that 
were  placed  under  thy  care  in  the  wilderness  of  the  world  V — 
How  affecting  must  be  the  only  true  answer  that  too  many 
wretched  souls  will  have  to  give, — '^  I  was  so  taken  up  with 
what  I  thought  a  proper  provision,  and  laying  up  treasure  on 
earth,  that  I  neglected  my  proper  care,  and  they  have  strayed 
away."  Will  not  the  righteous  Judge  say> — ''  Did  I  not  tell 
thee  plainly,  to  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  Grod  and  his  righteous- 
ness, and  all  things  needful  should  be  added  ?  And  did  I  not 
pcssitively  command  thee  not  to  lay  up  treasure  on  earth  ? — 


345 

But  thou  bast  broken  my  commandments,  wben  thou  knewest 
the  condition  of  my  friendship.  For  I  said  plainly,  Ye  are  my 
friends  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you ;  therefore  having 
broken  my  commandment,  as  an  enemy,  thou  must  depart  from 
me  as  a  worker  of  iniquity." 

Reflect  seriously,  my  young  friends,  now  in  the  morning  of 
your  day,  of  the  vast  importance  of  the  salvation  of  the  never- 
dying  souls  of  your  precious  children ;  and  do  not  furnish  the 
enemy  with  the  means  of  tempting  them  to  their  ruin,  by  lay- 
ing up  for  them  treasure  on  earth,  where  the  moth  of  selfish- 
ness and  pride  corrupts — where  the  rust  of  usury  eats  like  a 
canker,  and  gamblers  break  the  laws  of  common  honesty,  and 
steal.  But  lay  up  for  them  treasure  in  heaven,  by  leading  them 
in  their  infancy  to  the  heavenly  Shepherd,  the  Saviour  of  the 
world,  and  asking  him  in  fervent  prayer,  to  bless  them  with 
the  earliest  visitation  of  his  heavenly  love.  Should  you  gain 
this  great  point,  and  be  the  instruments  of  kindling  the  devo- 
tional fire  on  the  altar  of  their  youthful  hearts,  you  will  lay  up 
for  them  treasure  in  heaven,  and  will  find  but  little  difficulty 
in  bringing  them  up  in  the  way  they  should  go,  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord — in  plainness  of  speech,  behaviour 
and  apparel — in  frequently  reading  the  holy  Scriptures^  and  re- 
straining them  from  reading  pernicious  books,  and  the  corrupt 
conversation  of  the  world.  The  Lord  knows  that  I  can  declare 
here,  without  boasting,  that  I  know  what  I  say  by  blessed  ex- 
perience, for  I  verily  believe  it  was  the  dying  exercise  of  my 
precious  Christian  mother,  to  present  me  in  my  infancy  to  Christ, 
who  declared  he  had  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  to 
beg  of  him  to  bless  me  with  an  early  visitation  of  his  love ;  and 
that  prayer  was  not  only  fervent  but  efi"ectual,  and  I  was  led  in 
early  life  to  love  and  adore  him,  to  pray  to  him  in  all  my  trials 
and  troubles ;  and  in  blessing,  he  has  blest  me  with  preserva- 
tion ;  in  multiplying,  he  has  multiplied  his  favors  towards  me, 
and  if  I  can  only  be  humble  and  obedient,  I  have  a  hope  he  will 
crown  me  in  the  end  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory. 

Had  I  continued  under  the  care  of  pious  Friends,  I  think 
now  that  I  should  never  have  lost  my  first  love  ;  for  I  loved 
their  plainness  of  speech,  behaviour  and  apparel,  because  they 
were  nearer  the  example  of  the  great  Christian  pattern  :  and 
when  I  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  being  renewedly  visited 
with  heavenly  love,  notwithstanding  I  lived  among  the  Presby- 


346 

terians,  and  attended  their  meetings,  I  turned  towards  Friends, 
and  not  only  conscientiously  adopted  their  plain  language,  but 
took  off  my  regimental  coat  with  pleasure,  and  put  on  a  plain 
drab ;  and  this  being  so  contrary  to  my  constitutional  nature,  I 
can  attribute  it  to  nothing  else  than  the  love  of  Christ,  gracious- 
ly instilled  into  me  in  my  very  infancy — hence  arises  my  great 
concern  that  you,  my  dear  young  friends,  may  bring  your  chil- 
dren early  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  everlasting  Shepherd  and  Bishop 
of  souls. 

From  the  above  observations  and  experience,  I  have  now  ar- 
rived at  this  conclusion,  that  if  the  children  of  Friends  were 
rightly  impressed  with  the  love  of  Christ  in  early  life,  they 
would  never  leave  the  Society  :  for  children  are  imitative  crea- 
tures, and  are  naturally  led  to  imitate  those  they  really  love 
and  adore  ]  therefore,  seeing  in  the  blessed  pattern  the  beauti- 
ful propriety  of  plain  language,  they  would  conscientiously  keep 
to  it — seeing  in  liim  that  meekness  and  lowliness  of  mind, 
clothed  with  a  seamless  garment,  they  would  never  follow  the 
foolish  shows  of  a  vain  world — seeing,  as  they  must  see,  with 
indubitable  clearness,  that  the  priests  were  the  greatest  enemies 
to  the  blessed  Saviour  in  his  outward  appearance,  and  equally 
hostile  to  his  inward,  they  would  have  no  confidence  in  the 
deluded  votaries  of  Anti-christ ;  hence  they  would  recognize 
Friends*  great  Christian  testimony  against  a  mercenary  hireling 
ministry.  Seeing  in  the  blessed  Jesus,  the  great  principles  of 
non-resistance,  exemplified  in  his  heavenly  testimony  against 
war,  our  young  men  could  never  become,  or  never  continue, 
carnal  warriors  ;  for  they  would  understand  what  he  meant, 
when  he  said,  "  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  :  if  my  king- 
dom was  of  this  world  then  would  my  servants  fight.  But 
now  is  my  kingdom  not  from  hence."  His  kingdom  being  a 
blessed  state,  arrived  at  by  the  redeemed  soul,  where  there  is 
no  qualification  for  either  war  or  politics,  our  young  friends 
could  neither  elect  others,  nor  receive  any  office  of  honor  or 
profit  themselves  in  the  governments  of  this  world,  that  are  set 
up  by  the  sword,  and  defended  by  the  sword  ;  but  would  feel 
conscientiously  bound,  in  justice,  to  leave  these  offices  to  such 
as  are  better  qualified  to  fill  them,  as  some  indemnification  for 
the  risk  of  their  lives,  their  property,  and  what  they  consider 
their  sacred  honor,  in  the  field  of  battle. 

The  Saviour's  testimony  against  going  to  law  being  so  clear 


347 

and  conclusive,  tliey  never  could  prosecute  any  man  on  any  oc- 
casion whatever,  or  appeal  to  the  outward  law  for  redress  in  any 
grievance ;  and  if  sued  themselves,  could  make  no  resistance  ; 
therefore  they  would  never  be  seen  attending  elections  or  courts 
of  law,  except  when  summoned  there  as  jurymen  or  witnesses. 
And  this  great  commandment  of  the  Head  of  the  Christian 
church,  being  so  deeply  inscribed  on  the  tablet  of  their  heart, — 
''  From  him  that  would  borrow  turn  not  thou  away,  but  do  good 
and  lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again,  and  your  reward  shall  be 
great,  and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  Grod,"  they  could  take 
no  usury  for  superfluous  money,  but  would  rejoice  in  helping 
their  poor  fellow  men  and  women.  Neither  could  they  hold 
a  poor  fellow  creature  in  bondage,  because  all  acts  of  injustice 
and  cruelty  are  condemned  in  this  remarkable  saying,  ^'As  ye 
would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  also  unto  them/^ 
Nor  could  they  ever  become  drunkards,  because  the  law  of  the 
spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  being  in  them,  it  would  for  ever 
keep  them  free  from  that  law  of  sin  and  death. 

In  a  word,  all  those  great  Christian  testimonies,  recognized 
by  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  held  up  as  a  light  to  the  world, 
having  emanated  from  the  great  Christian  Law-giver,  they  would 
be  conscientiously  embraced  by  the  children  of  Friends,  that 
had  received  a  proper  religious  education,  and  in  whom  the  love 
of  Christ  had  been  instilled  in  early  life.  Hence  the  vast  im- 
portance of  a  religious  education,  and  the  awful  responsibility 
that  rests  upon  you,  dear  young  friends,  as  delegated  shepherds 
and  shepherdesses,  under  the  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of 
souls.  Permit  me,  then,  to  beg  of  you  for  Grod's  Sake — for 
your  own  souls  and  the  souls  of  your  children's  sake — and  for 
the  sake  of  the  cause  of  righteousness,  as  professed  by  Friends — 
unite  again  in  the  fellowship  of  the  everlasting  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ,  that  you  may  be  instruments  in  the  Divine  Hand,  to 
save  the  Society  of  l^'riends  from  that  vortex  of  ant i- Christianity 
that  appears  to  be  ingulfing  all  the  reformers  from  the  church 
of  Rome. 

I  will  now  call  your  attention  to  the  great  importance  of  keep- 
ing up  our  religious  meetings.  Dear  Greorge  Fox,  in  the  last 
letter  he  wrote  and  left  sealed,  which  was  read  in  the  Yearly 
Meeting,  1691,  a  short  time  after  his  death,  begins  with  these 
remarkable  expressions  :  '^  Keep  all  your  meetings  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus.''     This  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 


B4« 

which  was  so  precious  to  the  primitive  saints,  our  early  Friends 
considered  the  crown  and  diadem  of  all  their  meetings;  for  in 
them  they  experienced  what  the  Lord's  prophet  saw  in  hea- 
venly vision,  that  this  precious  name  was  Wonderful,  was  a 
Counsellor,  was  an  everlasting  Father  and  the  Prince  of  peace ; 
and  they  saw  in  heavenly  prospective,  that  of  the  increase  of 
his  government  there  should  be  no  end.  Hence  the  peculiar 
devotedness  of  their  spirits  while  sitting  in  their  silent  meet- 
ings, that  frequently  the  tenderness  and  contrition  were  such, 
that  the  floor  would  be  wet  with  their  tears  when  not  a  word 
was  spoken.  It  is  this  devotedness  and  fervency  of  spirit  that 
constitutes  the  very  life  of  our  religious  meetings,  and  without 
it,  a  Quaker  meeting,  held  in  silence,  is  a  dull,  insipid  concern^ 
having  neither  form  nor  substance.  Therefore  it  is  no  wonder 
that  the  greater  part  of  our  meetings  for  worship,  both  in  Eng- 
land and  America,  are  on  the  decline. 

Superfluity  of  wealth,  and  superfluity  of  scholastic  education 
or  worldly  wisdom,  have  produced  the  love  of  worldly-minded- 
ness  in  Friends,  and  the  declaration  of  the  apostle  John,  that 
^^  Whoso  loveth  the  world  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  them,'' 
remains  an  unchangeable  truth  -,  the  love  of  the  Father  being 
inseparable  from  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Such 
Friends  as  have  not  this  precious  life,  are  as  dead  weights  in 
our  religious  meetings  ;  and  when  such  seekers  as  are  saying  in 
their  hearts,  "  0  Lord,  who  shall  show  us  any  good,''  come 
to  our  meetings,  and  see  no  evidence  in  the  countenances  of 
Friends  that  they  have  been  with  Jesus,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
see  a  sleepy,  yawning,  listless  appearance,  and  feel  no  solemni- 
ty of  devotion,  they  will  go  away  discouraged  ;  and  therefore 
our  meetings  must  continue  to  dwindle,  unless  you  dear  young 
friends,  gird  up  the  loins  of  your  minds,  be  devoutly  sober,  watch- 
ing and  praying,  least  you  enter  into  a  similar  tempation. — 
"  The  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  Oh,  this 
weakness  of  the  flesh!  don't  indulge  it,  don't  give  way  to  it  to 
the  neglect  of  religious  meetings,  or  it  will  be  a  let  to  still 
greater  weakness  ;  for  if  it  is  our  duty  to  meet  together  twice  a 
week  to  worship  our  Heavenly  Father,  it  is  paramount  to 
every  other  duty  that  relates  to  the  things  of  this  world,  and 
faithful  Friends  will  be  blessed.  I  know  what  I  say  by  expe- 
rience, for  from  the  time  I  entered  into  covenant  to  attend 
meetings  for  worship  in  the  middle  of  the  week,  I  have  no  re- 


349 

collection  of  neglecting  one,  when  I  was  able  to  go,  for  forty 
years.  I  speak  not  boastingly,  the  Lord  knows — and  now  those 
meetings  are  more  precious  to  nie  than  ever,  though  I  often  at- 
tend them  under  such  bodily  infirmity,  that  I  seem  trembling,  as 
it  were,  on  the  brink  of  the  eternal  world.  Be  ye  therefore  en- 
couraged. 

Our  Saviour  has  promised,  and  will  fulfil  his  promise,  that 
'^  Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  his  name,  there 
will  he  be  in  the  midst  of  them  f  hence  the  great  importance 
of  taking  heed  to  the  dying  exhortation  of  dear  Greorge  Fox, 
"  Keep  all  your  meetings  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." — 
Oh  the  blessedness  of  true  heavenly  devotion !  it  is  a  foretaste 
experienced  by  all  Grod's  children  here  on  earth,  of  that  fruition 
of  bliss,  which  the  ransomed  and  redeemed  soul  enjoys  through- 
out the  endless  ages  of  eternity,  and  is  certainly  known  by  its 
own  fruits,  which  are  love  unfeigned  to  Grod  supreme,  and  uni- 
versal love  to  all  mankind.  It  is  holy,  humble,  harmless ; 
entirely  separate  from  all  justice,  cruelty  and  pride,  can  love 
enemies,  bless  them  that  curse,  and  pray  for  them  that  act  de- 
spitefully  and  persecute.  Under  the  influence  of  this  blessed 
spirit,  my  soul  feels  a  sweet  union  and  communion  with  all 
God's  children  in  their  devotional  exercise,  whether  it  is  per- 
formed in  a  Protestant  meeting  house,  a  Roman  cathedral,  a 
Jewish  synagogue,  an  Hindoo  temple,  an  Indian  wigwam,  or  by 
the  wild  Arab  of  ihe  great  desert  with  his  face  turned  towards 
Mecca.  The  counterfeit  of  this  UXDOUBTED  REALITY 
is  a  curse  to  the  human  family,  and.  the  mother  of  all  religious 
superstition,  hypocrisy  and  persecution,  and  has  permitted  the 
unregenerated  Quaker  to  be  high  in  profession  and  low  in  prac- 
tice ;  the  Puritan  Presbyterians  to  rise  from  their  prayers  and 
their  sacraments,  to  massacre  in  cold  blood  the  Indian  men, 
women  and  children,  original  inhabitants  of  the  eastern  shores 
of  America ;  the  Catholic  Crusaders  to  storm  the  cities  of  Pa- 
lestine, and  after  indiscriminately  murdering  the  inhabitants, 
not  even  sparing  the  unoffending  mother  with  her  helpless  in- 
fant, they  rushed,  under  the  influence  of  this  counterfeit  devo- 
tion, to  the  holy  sepulchre,  and  prostrating  themselves  with 
tears  in  their  eyes,  kissed  the  very  groun  I  on  which  it  stood. 
The  same  cursed  ungodliness  of  zeal,  led  the  Jewish  priesthood, 
with  their  satellites,  to  cause  to  be  put  to  the  ignominious  death 
of  the  cresS;  the  dear  Son  of  God,  who  came  to  be  their  Saviour, 

30 


350 

In  a  word,  it  was  this  dreadful  spirit  that  was  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  atrocious  cruelties  and  treachery  of  a  Jenghis 
Khan  and  Tamerlane;  that  produced  that  everlasting  thirst  for 
revenge  in  the  breast  of  the  murdering  Indian,  and  directed  the 
prayers  of  the  Arabian  robber  for  the  destruction  of  the  unfortu- 
nate Christian  mariner  on  his  coast.  I  say  it  was  this  wretched 
inconsistency  in  Christian  professors,  and  murderous  treachery 
in  other  selfish  mortals,  presented  to  the  eagle  eye  of  the  great 
Frederick,  Voltaire  and  Spinoza,  that  led  to  that  confederacy 
with  other  powerful  wits  of  Europe,  in  a  conspiracy  against  all 
religion,  even  aiming  their  deadly  shafts  at  the  person  and  stu- 
pendous miracles  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

And  oh,  that  I  could  stop  here  I  But  what  have  I  seen  and 
heard  in  my  own  day  ?  A  respectable  member  of  the  Society 
of  Friends  reading  in  his  own  house  the  productions  of  these 
wits,  or  their  petty  retailers,  in  the  form  of  an  Apocrypha  to 
the  New  Testament  I  This  pernicious  book,  with  others  of  a 
similar  character — their  spurious  bible — designed  to  turn  the 
holy  scriptures  into  perfect  ridicule,  together  with  Paine's  Age 
of  Reason,  (though  only  calculated  to  work  upon  narrow  and 
debauched  understandings)  I  have  reason  to  fear,  are  to  be 
found  in  the  houses  of  too  many  respectable  Friends.  Oh  I  will 
it  not  be  an  affecting  and  sorrowful  consideration,  if  the  people 
called  Quakers, — whom  the  Lord  Almighty  appears  to  have 
raised  up  by  his  own  invincible  power,  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
pelling this  black  cloud,  and  so  signally  placed  his  name  amongst 
them,  that  they  bore  a  faithful  and  consistent  testimony  for 
more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  against  those  two  tre- 
mendous enemies  of  the  Christian  cause,  the  orthodox  persecu- 
tor and  the  deistical  scoffer, — should  now  be  found  practising 
their  spirit,  and  reading  and  harboring  their  pernicious  publica- 
tions ?  Alas!  for  the  Society  of  Friends,  unless  you,  dear  chil- 
dren, unite  as  the  young  men  of  the  princes  of  the  provinces, 
under  the  ordering  of  the  King  of  kings,  to  make  war  in  right- 
eousness against  this  dreadful  Gog  and  Magog,  that  appears  to 
be  compassing  the  very  camp  of  the  saints  !  I  conjure  you  by 
all  that  is  sacred  and  dear,  never  indulge  that  bitter  persecut- 
ing spirit,  never  read  any  of  these  abominable  books ;  never 
harbor  these  corrupt  doubtingsof  a  fallen  world,  but  pray  daily 
for  an  increase  of  that  precious  faith,  that  works  by  love  and 
purifies  the  heart,  and  you  will  become  established  as  pillars  in 
the  Lord's  house,  that  go  no  more  out. 


351 

I  will  now  endeavor  to  lay  before  my  young  friends  the 
concern  I  feel  for  the  preservation  of  a  living  gospel  ministry, 
which,  since  the  decline  of  the  Society,  has  sadly  dwindled 
into  party  declamation  and  political  lecturing,  with  a  multi- 
jDlicity  of  words  without  either  life  or  power,  scattering  and 
dispersing  on  the  barren  mountains  of  empty  profession. 
Should  you  succeed  in  the  unity  I  have  hoped  for,  be  especial- 
ly careful  in  seeking  for  Divine  wisdom  in  recommending  of 
ministers,  ever  keeping  in  view  this  all  important  fact,  that 
when  Grod  was  pleased  to  send  into  the  world  the  everlasting 
minister  of  the  sanctuary,  it  was  in  the  person  of  an  humble, 
illiterate  carpenter,  and  before  lie  left  the  world,  lie  chose  for 
his  successors  the  poor  unlearned  fishermen  of  Galilee.  This 
important  fact  of  itself  speaks  volumes ;  which  is  well  authen- 
ticated by  the  living  experience  of  the  first  and  greatest  of 
Quaker  preachers,  a  poor  shoemaker,  with  scarcely  scholastic 
learning  enough  to  read  and  write  intelligibly ;  and  so  far 
from  being  eloquent,  he  was  rather  an  unpleasant  speaker:  yet 
this  was  the  instrument  the  great  Head  of  the  Church  made 
use  of  to  gather  the  people  called  Quakers,  sanctify  their  con- 
gregations, and  assemble  their  elders.  Beware  then,  dear 
young  friends,  of  being  deceived  by  those  superficial  idols  of 
a  vain  world, — eloquence,  talents  and  learning, — for  you  will 
scarcely  be  able  to  find  one  eloquent  and  learned  preacher 
among  Friends,  from  James  Naylor  to  the  present  day,  but 
what  have  scattered  more  by  their  spirit  and  example,  than 
they  have  ever  gathered  by  their  preaching  of  the  gospel. 

It  is  to  me  a  matter  of  astonishment,  that  a  disciple  of  Jesus 
Christ  should  be  so  anxious  for  the  friendship  of  the  world 
and  the  praise  of  men,  as  to  sacrifice  the  legacy  of  a  Saviour's 
love  in  pursuit  of  that  echo  of  folly  and  shadow  of  renown, 
when  the  testimony  of  the  Divine  Master  is  so  decidedly 
against  it :  '^  These  things  I  command  you,  that  ye  love  one 
another.  If  the  world  hate  you,  ye  know  it  hated  me  before 
it  hated  you.  If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would  love 
his  own :  but  because  j^e  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  have 
chosen  you  out  of  the  world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  you.^'' 
I  say  it  is  a  matter  of  astonishment  to  me,  that  believers  in 
this  doctrine  should  manifest  such  a  love  for  the  world's  idols 
as  to  desire  an  eloquent,  learned  and  talented  ministry.  Why 
may  it  not  be  truly  said  of  such  Friends,  "  What  do  ye  more 


352 

than  others  ?  Do  not  the  deluded  votaries  of  Anti-christ  do 
the  same  V  See  the  testimony  of  the  beloved  Paul,  who 
knew  what  value  to  set  on  scholastic  learning  and  human 
wisdom ;  he  certainly  was  religiously  concerned  to  lay  it  aside 
entirely,  and  to  consider  it  as  dross  and  dung  in  comparison  to 
the  learning  and  wisdom  of  Christ.  In  his  first  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,  the  first  and  second  chapters,  nothing  can  be  more 
conclusively  clear  to  my  mind,  than  his  testimony  against 
those  idols  of  a  fallen  world, — learning,  talents  and  eloquence, 
the  levers  of  the  power  of  priestcraft, — ''Ye  see  your  calling, 
brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not 
not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called ;  but  God  hath 
chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise, 
and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  things  that  are  mighty."  And  it  is  to  me  an  encouraging 
consideration,  that  there  is  still  raised  up  among  Friends,  a 
living  gospel  ministry,  unadorned  with  the  mighty  and  noble 
wisdom  of  the  world,  and  we  continue  to  have  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  in  its  blessed  simplicity,  from  the  stammering 
tongue  of  a  weak,  tender  woman.  This  is  the  kind  of  preach- 
ing that  has  ever  made  the  deepest  impression  upon  my  jiiiud, 
and  this  is  the  only  ministry  I  want  j^ou,  dear  young  friends, 
to  recommend ;  ever  having  a  watchful  eye  to  its  humility  and 
nothingness  of  self,  for  when  weak  men  and  women  suffer 
themselves  to  be  puffed  up  with  pride  and  religious  conse- 
quence, they  are  sure  to  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the 
devil. 

I  could  wish  that  Friends  could  see  the  propriety  of  draw- 
ing some  line,  or  fixing  some  limits  to  the  missionary  travel- 
ling of  their  ministers.  They  have  certainly  been  favored  to 
draw  the  line  with  great  propriety  in  their  testimonies  against 
war,  oaths,  slavery,  and  hireling  ministry ;  and  as  these  lines 
were  drawn  from  the  precepts  or  example  of  Christ,  I  would 
propose  that  Christ's  example  should  fix  the  limits  of  such 
concerns  as  ministers  should  feel  to  travel  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  Having  already  given  my  views  touching  this  sub- 
ject, in  the  narrative  of  my  life,  I  would  only  ask  my  young 
friends  whether  they  can  believe  that  the  missionary  labors  of 
the  several  sects  in  Christendom  have,  upon  the  whole,  sub- 
stantially benefitted  the  blessed  cause  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  If 
they  can,  they  must  reasonably  give  the  preference  to  that  so- 


S53 

v;iety  that  has  done  the  most :  hence,  the  Roman  Catholic  mis- 
sionaries, particuhirly  the  order  of  Jesuits,  will  have  the  pre- 
eminence. But  I  am  rather  disposed  to  think  that  some,  if 
not  all,  would  unite  with  me  in  believing  that  these  mission- 
aries have  done  more  hurt  than  good  : — and  as  enemies  to  civil 
and  religious  liberty,  nothing  but  a  providential  interference 
has  prevented  them  from  destroying  them  both.  ''  Ye  shall 
know  them  by  their  fruits  :  do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns  or 
figs  of  thistles  ?" 

I  will  now  try  to  bring  the  subject  nearer  home,  by  asking, 
whether  the  cause  of  Christ,  as  professed  by  Friends,  has 
been  substantially  promoted  by  all  the  missionary  travelling 
of  our  ministers,  beyond  the  jurisdiction  embraced  in  his  ex- 
ample, especially  for  the  last  fifty  years  ?  If  the  present  state 
of  our  religious  society  is  permitted  to  answer,  it  will  be  con- 
clusive :  and  you,  dear  young  friends,  will  be  justified  in 
drawing  the  line  and  fixing  the  limits,  by  the  example  of  the 
Saviour,  who,  notwithstanding  he  could  walk  on  the  waters 
and  ride  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  never  travelled  in  the 
work  of  the  ministry  further  than  one  hundred  miles  in  a  di- 
rect line. 

In  reading  the  journals  of  Friends  in  the  ministry,  and  ob- 
serving their  spirit  and  conduct,  especially  for  the  last  fifty 
years,  I  have  thought  that  Pride,  Luxury  and  Idleness  have 
been  a  great  injury  to  .them  :  for  there  are  so  many  weak, 
foolish  men  and  women,  who  will  directly  or  indirectly  flatter 
ministers,  there  is  such  good  living  among  wealthy  Friends, 
so  much  ease  and  idleness,  and  so  many  that  have  their  trou- 
bles and  difficulties  at  home,  in  consequence  of  their  not  filling 
with  propriety  their  social  and  relative  duties,  I  fear  that  some 
ministers  have  been  tempted  to  get  up  concerns  to  travel, 
when  they  had  better  have  stayed  at  home.  In  consulting  my 
own  experience,  I  am  bound,  in  common  honesty,  to  plead 
guilty  at  least  to  the  fii'st  of  these  charges.  I  have  certainly 
too  high  a  conceit  of  my  own  preaching,  and  as  I  know  I  have 
secretly  fcuffjred  the  torments  of  jealousy  and  envy,  so  I  have 
reason  to  fear  the  cause  of  Truth  has  suiFered  through  me,  for 
there  is  too  much  truth  in  that  old  saying,  '•  like  priest  like 
people  :'^  for  a  minister  can  only  beget  his  own  likeness  :  this 
is  as  certainly  true  as  that  a  stream  cannot  rise  higher  than 
its  fountain.     But  having   already  given,   perhaps  with  too 

30* 


354 

much  freedom,  my  vie^vs  touching  the  spirit  aud  conduct  of 
ministers^  I  shall  only  say  here,  that  I  haye  obseryed  in  the 
journals  and  writings  of  some  yaluable  ministers,  a  morbid 
melancholy,  that  has  cast  a  discouraging  gloom  oyer  a  cause, 
dignified  with  immortality  aud  crowned  with  eternal  life, — a 
cause  infinitely  greater  than  the  cause  of  empires  and  king- 
doms,—an  eyer  blessed  system,  designed  for  the  perfection  of 
human  nature  and  the  happiness  of  man  in  time  and  in  eter- 
nity. The  best  cure  for  this  morbid  mehmcholy,  (which  I 
haye  seen  too  much  of  among  religions  people,)  is  humble  in- 
dustry :  what  a  pity  then  they  would  not  eat  less  and  work 
more.  I  would  propose,  what.  I  think  would  be  a  great  im- 
proyement  in  Christian  example,  that  ministers  trayelling  in 
Truth's  seryice  should  be  more  humble,  and  instead  of  going 
among  the  rich  where  they  can  fare  sumptuously,  and  be  wait- 
ed upon  eyery  day.  go  among  the  poorer  kind  of  Friends,  and 
such  as  haye  large  families  of  little  children;  and  let  our  trayelling 
women,  instead  of  carrying  with  them  a  superabundance  of 
fine  clothes,  take  a  suit  of  working  apparel,  and  turn  into  the 
kitchen  and  help  the  poor  woman  of  the  house,  who  is  often 
tried  and  discouraged,  especially  when  company  comes,  for  the 
want  of  such  help :  let  them  wash  and  mend,  and  do  all  such 
work  consistent  with  the  perfect  woman,  as  described  by  the 
inspired  poet,  in  the  last  chapter  of  Proyerbs.  Oh  1  how 
such  women  would  endear  themselyes  to  such  families,  and 
leaye  impressions,  especially  on  the  minds  of  children,  that 
would  be  of  eyerlasting  adyantage.  How  infinitely  more 
Christian-like  would  such  an  example  be,  than  to  sit  idly  in 
the  parlors  of  the  rich,  to  be  waited  upon  and  to  be  fed  with 
luxury.  Let  our  trayelling  men.  if  they  are  not  shoemakers, 
learn  the  trade,  like  dear  Samuel  Bonas,  or  Bownas,  did,  and 
when  trayelling  as  Christian  ministers,  be  more  like  the  be- 
loyed  Paul,  and  turn  in  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  and  work 
at  their  trade; — if  they  take  two  coats,  let  them  take  ofi"  their 
fine  and  put  on  their  coarse  ones,  with  their  leather  aprons, 
and  hunt  up  the  children's  shoes  and  mend  them.  If  they 
haye  leather,  a  healthy  man  would  make  a  new  pair  for  some 
of  the  family,  by  making  the  best  of  a  long  winter  eyening, 
and  rising  early  in  the  morning.  This  would  be  helping  the 
family  where  their  lot  was  cast, — then  they  could  preach  the 
gospel  with  Christian  boldness,  and  say,  like  the  beloyed  Paul, 


355 

*' We  behaveclnot  ourselves  disorderly  among  you,  neither  did 
we  eat  any  man's  bread  for  nought,  but  wrought  night  and 
day  that  we  might  not  be  chargeable  to  any/'  (Mark,  the 
disorderly  conduct  that  Paul  here  alludes  to  was  idleness,  a 
disownable  offence  among  the  primitive  Christians — see  2nd 
Thessalonians,  3d  chapter,  from  the  6th  to  the  12th  verse.) 
How  much  more  consistent  would  this  be  with  the  example  of 
the  humble  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  and  the  industrious  tent- 
maker  of  Tarsus,  than  sitting  in  idleness  in  rich  Friends* 
rocking  chairs,  cracking  jokes,  telling  anecdotes,  back-biting 
brethren  and  sisters,  or  musing  and  nursing  fanatical  melan- 
choly. 

Dear  young  friends,  especially  you  that  are  called  to  the 
ministry,  think  seriously  of  what  I  now  propose,  that  you  may 
be  the  instruments  in  the  Lord's  hand,  to  gather  the  Society 
back  to  that  rational  consistency  which  secures  a  foundation 
that  stands  sure, — having  this  seal,  the  Lord  knows  who  are 
his.  Do  not  spend  your  precious  time  in  idleness,  nor  sell 
your  Christian  liberty  for  money,  lest,  like  Judas,  you  lose 
your  part  in  the  ministry,  and  others  be  chosen  in  your  place. 
Let  such  as  are  poor,  be  content  to  be  like  their  Divine  Mas- 
ter, who  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head;  but  never,  never  re- 
ceive any  thing  like  pieces  of  silver  from  the  rich,  as  the  price 
of  a  Saviour.  This  species  of  bribery,  I  fear,  has  made  too 
many  Quaker  preachers  too  much  like  the  hireling,  and  tar- 
nished the  lustre  of  some  of  the  brightest  stars  that  have 
appeared  in  our  Society  for  the  last  fifty  years. 

If  I  had  my  time  to  go  over  again,  I  think  now  most  seri- 
ously, I  never  would  recive  a  favor  from  any  without  making  a 
compensation,  unless  T  was  so  situated  I  could  not  help  my- 
self; and  in  that  case  I  would  feel  myself  bound,  when  able, 
to  mete  unto  others  that  which  had  been  meted  unto  me,  to 
the  utmost  extent  of  my  ability.  But  there  is  no  occasion  for 
a  young  minister  to  get  into  such  a  street  called  Strait,  if  he 
will  take  the  favorite  advice  of  George  Fox,  ^Olindthe  light;" 
or  the  excellent  advice  of  our  discipline,  and  keep  within  the 
bounds  of  his  circumstances — if  he  earns  but  twenty-five  cents 
per  day,  live  on  fifteen  or  twenty,  and  never  go  in  debt  nor 
ever  borrow  money.  What  a  sorrowful  and  affecting  sight,  to 
see  a  minister  of  the  gospel  surrounded  by  a  set  of  money- 
mongers,  voraciously  pressing  their  several  demands^  until  he, 


356 

like  Peter,  in  the  awful  confusion  and  impetuosity  of  passion, 
cuts  off  their  right  ears,  or  meanly  equivocating  like  Peter, 
falsifying  his  word,  becomes  a  liar,  or  in  an  extreme  case,  in 
the  resignation  of  his  proj^erty  to  his  creditors,  he  may  worse 
than  swear  in  taking  the  aflfirmation;  going  out  from  the 
presence  of  his  Saviour  weeping,  he  may  never  return  like 
Peter.  Although  I  have  never  been  driven  to  such  an  ex- 
tremity, I  am  yet  free  to  acknowledge,  that  when  the  light  of 
the  countenance  of  Him,  who  possesses  the  awful  attribute  of 
Justice,  has  been  turned  upon  me  with  a  language  like  this, 
^^He  that  is  unfaithful  in  the  unrighteous  mammon,  who  will 
commit  to  his  care  the  true  riches  ?"  I  have  wept  bitterly  as 
I  stood  trembling  on  the  quicksands  of  despair. 

Oh  !  dear  young  man,  whoever  thou  art  that  may  read  this, 
keep  to  the  path  of  safety,  which  is  the  path  of  humble  indus- 
try, where  thy  wants  will  be  so  few  that  thy  industry  will 
more  than  supply  them,  putting  thee  always  in  possession  of 
the  means  to  j^ractise  Christian  benevolence,  and  be  taught,  as 
Paul  was  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  receive.  And  if  thou  wouldst  wish  thy  sons  to  be  happy 
in  time  and  in  eternity, — if  thou  wouldst  wish  them  to  be  bene- 
factors of  mankind,  or  shine  as  stars  in  the  fii-mament  of  God's 
power,  bring  them  up  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,— bring 
them  up  with  no  other  expectations  than  the  blessings  of  hea- 
ven on  their  own  exertions,  with  no  other  means  than  those 
which  arise  from  a  tax  laid  upon  their  own  energies  of  body 
and  mind.  These  are  the  men  that,  in  the  varied  ages  of  the 
world,  have  always  made  the  most  sustantial  pillars  of  the 
church  and  the  strongest  sinews  of  the  state.  As  a  proof  of 
the  correctness  of  this  important  position,  I  could  bring  many 
examples,  but  I  shall  only  produce  two— George  Fox,  and  George 
Washington. 

Who  was  George  Fox?  The  son  of  a  poor  Leicestershire 
weaver,  brought  up  a  shoemaker  and  shejiherd,  in  the  path  of 
humble  industry,  and  so  far  from  having  an  academic  or  colle- 
giate education,  he  could  scarcely  read  or  write  intelligibly ; 
yet  this  was  the  instrument  the  great  Head  of  the  church,  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  made  use  of  to  revive  primitive  Chris- 
tianity, and  institute  a  code  of  Christian  discipline  the  most 
simple,  the  most  evangelical,  and  the  most  republican,  in 
Christendom.     This  man,  as  a  scholar  in  the  school  of  Christ, 


357 

by  humble  obedience  to  Ms  teachings,  was  made  a  philosopher, 
a  naturalist,  a  divine,  and  a  pillar  in  the  Lord's  house,  that 
goes  no  more  out — whose  name  has  not  only  left  a  sweet  savor, 
grateful  to  surviving  generations,  but  I  trust  will  stand  forever 
gloriously  enrolled  upon  the  records  of  eternity. 

Who  was  George  Washington  ?  To  make  a  parody  of  the 
language  of  a  late  historian,  he  was  the  son  of  a  widow,  born 
beneath  the  paternal  roof  of  a  Westmoreland  farmer,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Potomac.  No  academy  ever  welcomed  him  to  its 
shade — no  college  ever  granted  him  a  diploma.  To  read  and 
to  write  and  to  cipher,  was  the  extent  of  his  school  learning, 
which  he  so  improved  in  the  path  of  humble  industry,  that  he 
was  found  at  the  age  of  sixteen  on  the  head  waters  of  the 
Potomac,  exposed  to  all  hardships  and  dangers  of  a  pioneer 
surveyor.  In  a  word,  a  series  of  offices  and  appointments,  in- 
volving the  greatest  responsibility,  from  his  youth  up,  which 
he  filled  with  perfect  propriety  and  faithfulness,  prepared  him 
to  stand  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  the  most  illustrious  patriots 
the  world  ever  saw ;  a  set  of  men,  of  whom  the  great  Earl  of 
Chatham  declared  in  the  house  of  Lords,  ''  That  in  the  master 
spirits  of  the  world,  I  know  not  ^he  people  or  the  senate,  who 
in  such  a  complication  of  difficult  circumstances,  can  stand  in 
preference  to  the  delegates  of  America,  assembled  in  general 
congress  at  Philadelphia.'^  Such  then  was  George  Washing- 
ton, that  distinguished  instrument  in  the  hand  of  the  infinitely 
wise  Jehovah,  for  establishing  the  American  Republic,  a  sys- 
tem of  government  the  most  healthy  and  happy,  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  generous,  now  under  heaven,  whose  benevolent 
institutions  are  becoming  more  and  more  the  admiration  of  the 
world ;  and  while  virtue,  liberty  and  independence  continue  to 
be  esteemed  among  the  children  of  men,  the  name  of  Washing- 
ton will  be  pronounced  with  veneration  and  respect  by  millions 
of  intelligent  beings.  But,  remember  that  I  do  not  present 
George  Washington  as  an  example  that  I  wish  Quakers  to 
follow  throughout — far  from  it;  much  less  would  I  represent  him 
as  a  pattern  of  Christian  perfection;  I  produce  him  as  a  con- 
spicuous matter  of  fact  argument  in  favor  of  my  important 
concern,  that  our  American  youth,  if  brought  up  in  the  path 
of  humble  industry,  and  thrown  more  on  their  own  responsi- 
bility, even  if  they  should  not  attain  to  the  perfection  of  the 
Christian,  would  be  most  likely  to  make  the  greatest  gentile 


358 

benefactors,  or  in  other  words,  tlie  strongest  sinews  of  civil 
government. 

Having  now  said  sufficient,  I  hope,  to  establish  the  import- 
ance of  bringing  up  the  rising  youth  of  America  in  the  path 
of  Humble  Industry,  I  will  try  to  express  my  views  touching 
our  Christian  discipline,  which  I  wish  you,  my  dear  young 
fi'iends,  seriously  to  consider.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
only  acknowledged  head  of  our  church,  on  discovering  the 
seeds  of  aristocracy,  priestcraft  and  kingcraft  among  his  disci- 
ples, when  disputing  which  of  them  should  be  the  greatest,  and 
even  asking  to  be  favored  with  pre-eminent  seats  in  the  king- 
dom, thus  instructively  reproved  them  ;  ''  The  kings  of  the 
gentiles  exercise  lordship  over  them,  and  they  that  exercise 
authority  upon  them  are  called  benefactors :  but  it  shall  not 
be  so  with  you ;  but  he  that  would  be  great  let  him  be  as  the 
younger,  and  he  that  would  be  chief  as  he  that  serveth ;  for 
whether  is  greater,  he  that  sittcth  at  meat  or  he  that  serveth  ? 
I  am  with  you  as  one  that  serveth.^' — ^"  And  ye  are  they  that 
have  one  master,  even  Christ,  and  ye  are  brethren. ^^ — Thus 
laying  down  the  great  principles  of  Christian  government, 
which  embraces  the  purest  and  most  perfect  system  of  repub- 
licanism the  world  of  mankind  ever  saw.  On  this  is  founded 
our  excellent  discipline,  as  it  stood  after  the  re-organization  of 
of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Philadelphia,  1828,  when  we  declar- 
ed that  we  had  no  new  doctrine  or  discipline.  The  aristocracy 
and  arrogance  that  had  almost  imperceptibly  been  increasing 
for  years  in  those  two  great  committees  of  care,  that  have  with 
very  great  propriety  the  management  of  the  religious  and  civil 
concerns  of  Society,  during  the  recesses  of  the  Yearly  Meeting, 
— I  say,  this  aristocracy  and  arrogance  had  been  successfully  re- 
sisted by  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  meeting,  and  that  most  im- 
portant republican  rule  of  discipline  was  then  established,  that 
secures  to  the  executive  department  of  Society  its  legitimate 
authority  or  power,  to  appoint  elders  and  members  of  the 
Meeting  for  Sufferings  periodically-  Never,  never,  dear  young 
friends,  let  this  great  republican  n-ay-marh  be  removed. 

Ail  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  our  discipline  since  . 
1828,  I  fear  have  had  a  weakening  and  scattering  tendency, 
especially  that  sorrowful  change  of  our  solemn,  dignified  man- 
ner of  marriage.     And  here,  while  I  would  wish  carefully  to 
avoid  impeaching  the  motives  of  my  friends,  I  must  express 


359 

my  deep  regret  at  sucli  a  sad  mistake  in  bringing  down  our 
Christian  discipline  to  suit  the  anti-Christian  state  of  our  mem- 
bers, instead  of  laboring  to  bring  the  state  of  Society  to  be 
consistent  with  Christian  discipline.  Hence  I  fear  a  door  is 
now  opened  for  a  proud,  aspiring  ministry  to  run  a  lucrative 
race  of  popularity.  I  forbear  to  give  the  plan  I  think  now  I 
could  adopt,  were  I  only  thirty-five  years  younger,  and  possessed 
of  the  talents,  learning,  eloquence  and  principles  of  some  of  our 
young  preachers.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  such  ingenious,  insinu- 
ating ministers,  first  robbed  the  church  of  its  perquisites,  and 
finally  turned  the  marriage  ceremony  into  their  own  pockets  ; 
and  like  causes  may  produce  like  effects,  under  like  circum- 
stances. 

The  lowering  the  dignified  solemnity  of  Greorge  Fox's  mar- 
riage, and  weakening  the  sacred  ties  that  should  ever  bind 
Christian  men  and  women  in  that  relation,  has  been  peculiarly 
unfortunate  as  to  time;  for,  independent  of  the  alarming  in- 
crease of  applications  to  our  Courts  of  Justice  for  divorces, 
there  are  men  and  women,  professedly  religious,  that  are  revi- 
ving and  practising  a  promiscuous  intercourse  that  strikes  at 
the  very  vitals  of  a  moral  decency.  In  the  primitive  church, 
this  hateful  Nicolaitan  practice  grew  out  of  the  community 
system,  that  prohibited  its  members  from  calling  any  thing 
they  possessed  exclusively  their  own,  and  when  carried  to  the 
extreme,  not  even  excepting  their  own  wives.  See  Revela- 
tions, 2nd  chapter,  15th  verse.  I  say  it  has  been  peculiarly 
unfortunate  to  be  nibbling  and  quibbling  at  our  discipline  in 
relation  to  marriage,  at  such  a  time  as  this,  when  I  fear  that 
too  many  of  our  own  members  are  Nicolaitans  in  theory,  if  not 
in  practice,  considering  marriage  as  a  mere  convenient  civil 
contract,  that  may  be  entered  into  in  the  most  selfish  and  mer- 
cenary spirit.  Oh,  how  different  were  the  views  of  Fox,  Penn, 
and  Barclay  ! 

I  am  aware  of  the  power  of  the  popular  argument  that  can 
be  brought  against  the  position  I  have  taken, — that  the  world 
of  mankind  are  growing  wiser  and  better, — that  the  people  of 
the  nineteenth  century  are  far  in  advance  of  the  people  of  the 
seventeenth,  and  that  our  Eeligious  Society  ought  to  keep  pace 
with  the  march  of  mind.  I  admit  there  has  been  great  im- 
provement in  government,  law,  agriculture,  engineering,  ma- 
chinery, mathematics,  &c.,  for  these  are  "  the  things  of  aman,'' 


mo 

and  therefore  can  be  improved  by  the  powerful  "  spirit  of  man 
that  is  in  him/^  But  "the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man 
but  by  the  spirit  of  God  -/'  therefore  man  can  never  improve 
them.  The  Christian  religion  is  one  of  the  great  things  of 
God,  that  never  has  been  improved  by  man,  but  remains  the 
same  infinitely  perfect  system  that  has  for  its  object  the  most 
glorious  work  of  the  Almighty,  even  the  redemption  of  the 
immortal,  never-dying  soul.  Nor  am  I  prepared  tounite  with 
another  popular  notion  that  has  obtained  credence  among  too 
many  respectable  Friends,  that  the  primitive  state  of  the 
church  was  only  a  weak,  infant  state.  This  speculative  delu- 
sion appears  to  me  to  have  had  its  origin  in  ignorance,  pre- 
sumption, or  spiritual  pride;  because,  by  a  fair  parity  of  rea- 
soning, I  might,  as  a  professed  minister  of  the  gospel,  come  to 
this  conclusion,  that  Jesus  Christ  and  his  first  disciples  were 
mere  children,  and  that  at  any  rate,  I  am  a  far  greater  Chris- 
tian minister  noiv,  than  the  apostle  Paul  was  then.  Such  pre- 
sumption and  pride  would  prepare  me  to  unite  with  the  senti- 
ments of  some  of  the  most  eloquent  female  orators,  "  That 
Jesus  Christ  is  now  but  a  very  imperfect  gentleman,  and  there- 
fore no  longer  fit  for  a  Christian  hero,  and  that  Father  Ma- 
thew  in  Ireland,  has  done  greater  works  than  ever  Jesus  done." 
To  me  such  sentiments  appear  the  most  awful  presumption  and 
pride;  and  my  very  soul  abhors  them.  I  should,  I  think,  find 
but  little  difiiculty  in  exposing  and  refuting  such  absurdities, 
were  it  not  that  I  wish  to  avoid  all  doctrinal  disquisitions,  and 
only  exhort  my  dear  young  friends  to  keep  to  the  doctrine  and 
discipline  of  Fox,  Penn,  and  Barclay;  carefully  avoiding  the 
two  extremes  to  which  that  doctrine  and  discipline  has  been 
exposed — orthodox  formality,  and  sceptical  ranterism.  These 
two  great  enemies  to  Christianity  spring  from  the  same  root, 
notwithstanding  in  their  luxuriant  growth  they  seem  to  lean  in 
opposite  directions ;  the  first  appears  to  have  its  empire  in 
Catholic,  and  the  second  in  Protestant  Christendom.  Ortho- 
dox formality,  in  its  reign  among  the  Roman  Catholics,  has 
written  its  own  character  with  the  blood  of  the  Inquisition ; 
sceptical  ranterism  has  given  a  sample  of  its  terrors,  when 
clothed  with  power,  in  the  reign  of  Robespierre  during  the 
French  Bevolution. 

The  Church  of  Rome,  having  added  to  its  power  a  profound 
policy,  that  nothing  but  British  jurisprudence  could  equal, 


361 

can  now  present  a  balance  in  numbers  over  its  rival  of  at  least 
tliirty  millions ;  with  something  like  a  practical  argument  in 
favor  of  the  popular  theory,  that  the  Christian  religion  is  a 
progressive  science  :  while  the  great  variety  of  Protestant  pro- 
fessors are,  more  or  less,  shook  to  pieces  by  sceptical  ranter- 
ism,  so  that  the  Protestant  professor  in  the  nineteenth  century, 
who  denies  the  immediate  teachings  of  Christ,  through  the  in- 
spiration of  his  Holy  Spirit,  may  hold  the  Bible  in  his  hand, 
and  not  be  a  whit  in  advance  of  his  brother  with  his  Bible  in 
the  sixteenth  century.  In  fact,  from  the  best  information  I 
can  get,  I  am  brought  to  this  conclusion,  that  all  the  move- 
ments of  Protestant  Christendom  for  the  last  century,  have  been 
an  eccentric  course,  to  and  fro,  without  any  advance  whatever; 
hence,  I  am  strengthened  in  the  opinion  that  the  church  of 
Anti-christ  is  gaining  ground,  and  will  continue  to  gain  "  till 
the  times  of  the  gentiles  shall  be  fulfilled.'^ — See  Luke,  21st 
chapter,  24th  verse.  What  will  be  the  state  of  gentile  Chris- 
tendom in  the  year  two  thousand^  it  is  not  for  me  to  say ;  but 
if  the  abomination  of  desolation,  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  pro- 
phet, stood  in  the  holy  place,  at  the  close  of  the  two  thousand 
years  given  to  the  Lord's  people  formerly,  what  may  not  we 
Christians  expect,  when  a  Saviour  shall,  for  the  last  time,  weep 
over  us  in  a  language  like  this  :  ^'  Hadst  thou  but  known.  Oh 
thou  !  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  that  belong  to  thy  peace  ! 
but  now  they  are  hid  from  thy  eyes — thy  house  is  left  unto 
thee  desolate.'^  Oh  !  that  that  peculiar  branch  of  the  Protes- 
tant church  called  Quakers,  or  Friends,  could  stand  in  their 
allotment  in  the  last  days  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  and 
like  the  ransomed  in  Jacob  and  the  redeemed  in  Israel,  at  the 
outward  advent  of  the  Messiah,  turn  many  to  righteousnsss 
and  shine  as  stars  for  ever  and  ever  ! 

I  had  hurried  thus  far,  I  fear,  too  precipitately  to  be  suffi- 
ciently explicit,  for  I  was  not  only  very  anxious,  but  fully  ex- 
pected to  close  the  concern  after  writing  the  last  paragraph, 
without  any  further  addition ;  but  having  attended  our  late 
Yearly  Meeting  held  in  Philadelphia,  from  the  12th  of  the  5th 
month  to  the  16th  of  the  same,  inclusive,  1845,  I  was  much 
encouraged  and  confirmed  in  the  belief,  that  if  you,  dear  young 
friends,  will  now  come  up  unitedly  and  practically,  to  the  work 
of  the  Lord,  keeping  to  the  blessed  simplicity  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
the  Society  of  Friends  will  yet  be  preserved,  notwithstanding 

31 


362 

the  great  daslier-in-pieces  has  been  so  busy  among  us.      I 
thought  our  Yearly  Meeting  was  one  of  the  largest  and  best  I 
ever  attended  ;  and  while  in  the  city  I  saw  a  book  written  by  a 
John  Wilbur,  that  not  only  informed  me  that  Orthodox  Friends 
were  in  a  very  unsettled  state,   but  confirmed  me  in  a  view 
which  I  have  had  for  some  time,  and  will  ofi"er  for  your  serious 
consideration.     I   believe  the  time    has    now    arrived,  when 
Friends  will  be  renewedly  called  to  follow  the  example  of  a 
suffering  Saviour,  who  told  his  disciples  when  the  bitter  cup 
that  he  had  to  drink  of  was  filling  up  before  him,  '^  hereafter  I 
will  not  talk  much  with  you,  for  the  Prince  of  this  world 
cometh  and  hath  nothing  in  me'' — he  then  sufi"ered  in  silence. 
It  was  right  no  doubt  at  one  time,  for  him  to  talk  much  with 
his  disciples,  and  in  the  most  public  places  deliver  those  tre- 
mendous truths,  that  not  only  made  his  enemies  tremble,  but 
produced  such  violent  anger  that  they  sought  to  kill  him, 
while  his  friends  glorified  God  in  beholding  his  mighty  works. 
But  when  arraigned  before  the  Jewish   Sanhedrim,  though 
possessed  of  powers  of  reasoning  and  eloquence  infinitely  su- 
perior to  a  Cicero  or  a  Demosthenes,  he  suffered  in  silence ;  as 
a  lamb  dumb  before  his  shearers,  he  opened  not  his  mouth. 
And  when  dragged  to  the  Roman  tribunal,  to  be  sentenced  to 
suffer  the   ignominious  death  of  the  cross,  though  he  had  le- 
gions of  angels  at  his  command,  and  could  have  dashed  the 
whole  Roman  empire,  as  well  as  the  Jewish  nation,  to  atoms, 
he  suffered  like  a  lamb — "  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world." 

Oh,  that  you,  dear  young  friends,  may  seek  to  be  established 
in  this  heavenly,  lamb-UTce  state,  that  can  suffer  in  silence  in 
the  time  of  temptation  and  provocation,  witnessing  the  spiritual 
appearance  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  as  a  cjuick- 
ening  spirit,  begetting  his  own  blessed  meekness  and  everlast- 
ing patience  in  your  souls  !  Then  the  tear  of  sympathy  or 
sorrow  that  is  thus  produced  by  spiritual  prayer,  as  it  stands 
trembling  in  your  eye,  or  steals  silently  down  your  cheek,  will 
make  a  better  and  more  lasting  impression  on  the  minds  of 
those  you  come  in  contact  with,  than  all  the  powers  of  eloquence 
and  reason  in  self-defence.  Oh,  the  preciousness  of  this  silent 
suffering  and  indwelling  of  soul !  It  appears  to  me  to  be  that 
blessed  state,  shown  to  the  beloved  John  by  a  heavenly  vision, 
in  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  when  there  was  silence  in 


363 

heaven.  When  the  vocal  tribute  of  holy,  holy,  holy,  and  the 
hallelujahs  of  sanctified  spirits  in  endless  felicity,  were  sus- 
pended, there  was  a  worship  that  continued  in  solemn,  awful, 
inconceivable  silence,  a  rapturous  adoration  too  copious  for 
language  to  express,  that  approached  the  throne  of  immaculate 
purity  and  love.  This  was  the  perfection  of  that  state  called 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  our  Lord  so  emphatically  de- 
clared was  within ;  therefore  he  could  say  while  silently  suffer- 
ing, ^'Now  is  my  kingdom  not  from  hence. ^^  This  was  the 
state  the  primitive  saints  were  in,  when  they  loved  one  another 
as  Christ  loved  them,  when  they  could  pray  without  ceasing, 
rejoice  ever  more,  and  in  everything  give  thanks.  At  this 
blessed  state  our  early  Friends  arrived,  when  the  people 
of  England  were  constrained  to  declare — "See  these  Quakers, 
how  they  love  one  another.^^  These  were  the  master  spirits  of 
genuine  Quakerism,  that  more  cheerfully  entered  the  loath- 
some prison  than  the  royal  palace,  and  esteemed  the  locks  and 
bolts  that  were  turned  upon  them  as  jewels  for  Christ's  sake. 
This  state  is  most  beautifully  described  by  one  of  them  in  the 
following  language :  "  There  is  a  spirit  which  I  feel  that  de- 
lights to  do  no  evil,  nor  to  revenge  any  wrong,  but  delights  to 
endure  all  things,  in  hope  to  enjoy  its  own  in  the  end.  Its 
hope  is  to  outlive  all  wrath  and  contention,  and  to  weary  out 
all  exaltation  and  cruelty,  or  whatevei^is  of  a  nature  contrary 
to  itself  It  sees  to  the  end  of  all  temptations :  as  it  bears  no 
evil  in  itself,  so  it  conceives  none  in  thought  to  any  other :  if 
it  be  betrayed  it  bears  it,  for  its  ground  and  spring  are  the 
mercies  and  forgiveness  of  God :  its  crown  is  meekness,  its 
life  is  everlasting,  its  love  unfeigned:  it  takes  its  kingdom 
with  entreaty  and  not  with  contention,  and  keeps  it  by  lowli- 
ness of  mind:  in  God  alone  it  can  rejoice  though  none  else  re- 
gard it,  or  can  own  its  life :  it  is  conceived  in  sorrow  and 
broughtjforth  without  any  to  pity  it,  nor  doth  it  murmur  at 
grief  and  oppression:  it  never  rejoiceth  but  through  sufferings, 
for  with  the  world's  joy  it  is  murdered.'^ 

This  is  that  precious  life  that  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  the 
crown  and  diadem  of  the  redeemed  soul.  Oh  !  that  Friends 
could  have  kept  under  the  influence  of  this  blessed  spirit ; 
there  never  could  have  been  any  separation  amongst  them; 
there  never  could  have  been  any  contention  and  law-suits  about 


864 

opinions  and  property ;  there  never  could  have  been  such  a 
thing  as  two  congregations  of  Friends,  meeting  in  separate 
houses  in  sight  of  each  other,  with  the  dark  scowl  of  Orthodox 
prohibition  resting  upon  the  brows  of  ministers  and  elders, 
should  either  presume  to  take  a  seat  in  the  other's  gallery. 
But  alas  !  seeing  these  things  are  verily  so,  let  us  try  to  cure 
the  sad  disease  by  love  and  silence.  May  you  then,  my  dear 
young  friends,  be  willing  to  follow  the  blessed  Saviour  in  silent 
suffering,  rather  than  continue  the  disgraceful  altercation  that 
has  so  sorrowfully  divided  in  Jacob  and  scattered  in  Israel.  It 
might  have  been  right  for  the  apostle  Paul,  at  one  time,  to 
have  disputed  in  the  school  of  Tyrannus,  and  it  might  have 
been  right  for  George  Fox  and  early  Friends  to  have  met  the 
high  professing,  deluded  votaries  of  anti-Christ  of  their  day, 
in  verbal  and  written  argument :  but  since  the  New  Testament 
has  been  given  to  the  Christian  world,  and  miraculously  pre- 
served from  the  ravages  of  time,  and  handed  down  to  us  as  a 
blessed  corroborating  stream  of  light  and  life,  embracing  the 
highest  order  of  external  evidence  in  the  infinitely  superior 
precepts  and  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  am  induced  to  believe 
that  all  the  religious  controversies  among  professing  Christians 
to  the  dawn  of  the  Reformation,  and  from  that  time  to  the  ris- 
ing of  the  day  star  among  Friends,  has  done  more  hurt  than 
good.  And  since  the  .publication  of  Barclay's  Apology  for 
the  true  Christian  religion  as  professed  by  Friends,  all  religious 
controversies  and  books  of  controversy  about  religion  among 
Friends,  I  verily  fear,  have  scattered  more  than  they  have  ever 
gathered  to  the  blessed  Truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  And  I  may 
add,  I  have  scarcely  a  doubt  in  my  mind  at  this  time,  that 
Friends  departed  from  the  peaceable  spirit  of  Jesus,  when  they 
descended  to  a  level  with  their  enemies,  in  litigation  and  reli- 
gious controversy,  in  the  late  unhappy  revolution.  How  much 
better  it  would  have  been  for  us  to  have  suffered  in  silence,  and 
like  our  divine  Master,  when  the  prince  of  this  world,  or  the 
prince  of  the  power  of  the  air,  that  rules  in  the  hearts  of  the 
children  of  disobedience,  came,  he  could  have  found  nothing  of 
his  own  likeness  in  us :  but  alas  !  this  prince  of  darkness  and 
confusion  found  us  prepared  to  talk  too  much,  write  too  much 
and  preach  too  much ;  and  hence  he  has  continued  too  much 
with  us. 

It  is  now  for  you,  dear  young  friends,  to  witness  this  strong 


365 

man  armed  that  lias  kept  the  palace  so  long,  to  be  bound  and 
cast  out,  and  his  goods  destroyed ;  be  willing  then,  to  follow 
the  precepts  and  example  of  a  suffering  Saviour,  who,  in  his 
spiritual  appearance,  is  the  only  power  that  can  bind  this  strong 
man.  Don't  talk  with  this  strong  man, — don't  argue  with 
him, — make  no  reply  to  his  elocj[uent  lectures  or  controversial 
papers,  but  silently  drink  of  the  cup  of  suffering  the  Saviour 
drank  of,  when  his  agony  was  such  that  the  sweat,  like  drops 
of  blood,  fell  from  his  face;  for  it  is  an  affecting  and  sorrowful 
consideration,  that  Friends  should  have  talked  so  much,  and 
so  vainly,  and  have  entered  into  such  bitter  controversy  about 
speculative  and  inexplicable  subjects,  that  never  have,  and 
never  can  be  settled  by  mortal  man.  Is  it  not  a  pity  then, 
that  they  should  have  spent  so  much  of  their  time  and  money 
in  writing  and  publishing  controversial  papers  to  criminate 
and  recriminate  one  another  ?  Manifesting  a  hardness  of  heart 
and  obstinate  bitterness,  that  has  not  only  separated  husband 
and  wife,  parents  and  children,  brethren  and  sisters,  but  has 
even  in  death  been  carried  to  the  house  of  mourning,  and  the 
awful  brink  of  the  grave — furnishing  a  shameful  monument  to 
the  disgrace  of  Orthodox  Quakerism.  Oh !  let  not  this  sword 
of  malignant  enthusiasm  devour  for  ever  !  Let  not  this  bitter- 
ness continue  to  the  latter  end  !  But  remove  this  sad  stum- 
bling block,  0  ye  precious  rising  youth  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
by  coming  up  unitedly  and  practically  to  the  work  of  the  Lord. 
^' Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor,  and 
evil  speaking,  be  put  away  from  you,  with  all  malice.  And  be 
ye  kind  one  to  another,  tender  hearted,  forgiving  one  another, 
even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  you.''^ 

Finally,  dear  Friends,  farewell.  Be  perfect,  be  of  good 
comfort,  be  of  one  mind, — live  in  peace, — and  the  God  of 
mercy  and  peace  will  be  with  you.     ,     , 


This  book  is  due  two  weeks  from  the  last  date  stamped 
below,  and  if  not  returned  at  or  before  that  time  a  fine  of 
five  cents  a  day  will  be  incurred. 


'        ,Ji  i!      i  Q  :: 

'^n^ 

-    V/Vi.'*^          1      ,»      ^ 

/■J'i 

■ 

\ 

1 

1       .  ' 

COLUMBIA  UNIV|R|1TV  j 

0031292046  [ 


938.36 


H5Z6 


V 


3 

-Q 


